Medvedev assures Europe its gas supplies are safe

Medvedev assures Europe its gas supplies are safe (NSI News Source Info) SOCHI - September 3, 2008: Russia will meet all its commitments to supply natural gas to European Union member states, President Dmitry Medvedev said in an interview with the news channel Euronews. "We will of course fully meet our obligations as a major supplier of oil and gas to Europe," Medvedev told the channel on Tuesday, a day after the EU postponed talks on a new partnership deal with Russia, demanding that the country pull all remaining troops out of Georgia. EU leaders, who met for an emergency summit in Brussels on Monday, stopped short of taking tough measures against Russia, despite calls from Britain and former Eastern Bloc states. The prospect of sanctions against Moscow had sparked fears in Europe of retaliatory measures from Russia, which meets over 40% of the EU's gas needs. Medvedev said the dispute with the EU was partly due to a misunderstanding. "Unfortunately, the EU did not fully understand what motivated the Russian Federation to make decisions on repelling the Georgian aggression and recognizing South Ossetia and Abkhazia as countries," he said. On the same day, Medvedev told Italian RAI television that Russia did not fear expulsion from the Group of Eight leading industrialized nations. "The G8 would be practically unable to function without Russia, because it can make decisions only if they reflect the opinion of main global economies and leading global political players. This is why we do not fear being expelled." Russia officially recognized South Ossetia and Abkhazia on August 26, saying the move was needed to protect the regions following Georgia's attack on South Ossetia. The EU leaders on Monday pledged to strengthen economic and political ties with Georgia, and condemned Russia's decision to recognize South Ossetia and Abkhazia.