25 April 2024
Russia to restore gas supplies to Yugoslavia – EU pays for electricity
Publication date: 01 October 2000
Gas Strategies Group
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Russia has promised to restore gas supplies to Yugoslavia. The agreement was sealed during talks between the Yugoslav President Vojislav Kostunica and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on October 27. Russian deliveries were stopped in June (GBE, June 2000,p13), and Yugoslavia has only started to buy emergency gas supplies from Hungary for district heating companies, hospitals and schools since the end of October, with the National Bank of Yugoslavia providing money from its currency reserves. Representatives of the Yugoslavia and Russian gas industries are currently discussing conditions for future gas deliveries. The main obstacle to a restart is Yugoslavia's debt of around $300 million to Russia for past deliveries. The two sides should come to a quick agreement once the schedule for repayment of the debt is decided.