Austria urges Russia, Ukraine to consider responsibility for gas supplies

VIENNA. November 17. KAZINFORM Russia and Ukraine should develop awareness of their responsibility for ensuring uninterrupted supplies of natural gas in the coming winter, Austrian Foreign Minister Mikhail Spindelegger said here Monday as his received his Ukrainian counterpart, Pyotr Poroshenko, Kazinform refers to Itar-Tass.

The latter man made a brief working visit to Austria Monday in the run-up to an EU-Ukraine summit, scheduled for December 14.

According to Spindelegger, European customers should not again turn into victims of Russian-Ukrainian disputes over natural gas and the Europeans expect that the Russian and Ukrainian governments will fulfill all of their international obligations on gas deliveries to European customers.

In this connection, Spindeleger voiced satisfaction over the fact that Ukraine, a country hard-hit by the crisis, has managed to pay up its debts for gas.

He also mentioned the presidential election due in Ukraine January 17, 2010, and stressed the importance of ensuring a free and fair expression of people's will there.

He pledged the EU's support to the Ukrainians in that aspect, Kazinform cites Itar-Tass. See www.itar-tass.com for full version.