Bulgarian Foreign Minister Urges EU to Guarantee Russian Gas Supplies

Bulgarian Foreign Minister Kristian Vigenin has called on the EU to guarantee gas supplies from Russia to Ukraine and gas transit to the remaining part of Europe.

At a meeting of the European Union's Foreign Affairs Council in Luxembourg, Vigenin backed the initiative of the international community encouraging Russia to declare that it was distancing itself from the events in Eastern Ukraine, thereby contributing to the stabilization of the situation.

European Union foreign ministers discussed the letter of Russian President Vladimir Putin warning about possible gas supply cuts.

Vigenin and his counterparts exchanged views on a proposal to organize a round table discussion in Geneva which would bring together representatives of Ukraine and Russia in a bid to prevent a further escalation of tension between the two countries.

Earlier on Monday, the European Union's Foreign Affairs Council approved the first tranche of financial aid to Ukraine amounting to EUR 1 B and approved a proposal by the European Commission to remove import tariffs on a wide range of agricultural, industrial and other goods.