It's not likely that we'll face another gas crisis similar to the one seen in 2009, European Commission Vice-president Maroš Šefčovič said on RTVS's political discussion show on Sunday, commenting on an agreement between Russia, Ukraine and the European Union signed on Friday.
“What's most important for Slovakia is the news that the country won't need to face the scenario witnessed in 2009 and that gas will be flowing through Ukraine and Slovakia to Western Europe, whereby we avoided any dramatic crisis scenarios,” specified Šefčovič, adding that the signatories have found a solution for at least the key period between November-March. This allows for the formation of a timeframe for pursuing a broader solution that will prevent any such gas crises in the future. Šefčovič further stated that in the coming months he'll first and foremost concentrate on the implementation of the aforementioned agreement. “One of my first trips will be to Kiev and Moscow, where we'll make sure that we understand each other clearly and that the agreed items are being observed,” emphasized the vice-president, adding that it is more important to restore trust between all sides. Šefčovič went on to say that it's apparent that both Russia and Ukraine are expecting the European Commission to engage actively in the efforts geared toward the implementation of the signed gas agreements, their observation and the search for a solution also after March 2015.
