European Leaders Welcome Russia-Ukraine Gas Deal

Russian President Vladimir Putin, Federal Chancellor of Germany Angela Merkel, President of France Francois Hollande and President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko, welcomed the recent natural gas deal reached Friday.



According to the press release by the Kremlin, the four leaders welcomed the agreement reached for Russian natural gas supplies and transit via Ukraine, during a telephone conference held between the four leaders.



The agreement came four months after the Russian energy giant Gazprom cut gas supplies to Ukraine. Russia said Kiev's national oil company Naftogaz had not paid its gas bill of about $4.5 billion.



Kiev agreed to pay its $3.1 billion debt by the end of 2014, according to the new agreement. 



"This is an important step in the context of ensuring further uninterrupted gas transit to Europe," the Kremlin said.



www.aa.com.tr/en - Ankara