Romanian Authorities Mull Resuming Talks With Russia On Gas Issue

"There are some issues we want to deal with. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs will arrange a meeting in Moscow in the upcoming period, and then an economic visit. We hope to resume talks on various heavy issues between the two countries," Serban said.

Serban added he met the Ambassador of Russia to Bucharest, but refused to give further details on this discussion.

The talks between the Romanian and Russian authorities on collaboration opportunities in the international gas transit, storage and direct imports from Russia have been going on for several years, but to no definitive avail.

The most recent talks on gas issue were held in October 2008, between Transgaz, Romgaz and Gazprom officials. Another meeting was scheduled in January, but it was cancelled.

Romanian president Traian Basescu had several phone conversations on the gas issue with the Russian prime minister Vladimir Putin during the past two weeks, while Russia halted gas imports to Ukraine. Putin even proposed Romania’s involvement in South Stream gas pipeline project, developed by Russia and Italy.

In turn, the general manager with state-owned gas pipeline operator Transgaz (TGN.RO), Ioan Rusu, said that the Nabucco pipeline project meant to reduce Europe’s dependency on Russian gas, equally seen as the South Stream competitor, undergoes the drafting stage of the inter-governmental agreement. This agreement should be signed by all the countries involved, namely Austria, Hungary, Turkey, Romania, Germania, and Bulgaria.