The Energy Charter Treaty signed in The Hague in December 1991 spells out the terms of energy cooperation between eastern and western Europe. But Russia has refused to ratify it as Europe has demanded access for Central Asian states and other countries to Russian pipelines, which Moscow says will make their natural gas 50% cheaper than Russia's when it arrives in Europe.
In an interview with Russia's 24-hour news channel Vesti, Viktor Khristenko said that Russia had signed the Charter and was using it in practice but had declined to ratify the document, demanding that a Transit Protocol be signed first.
"When the Charter was signed, it was agreed that work on the key issues ..., at least the Transit Protocol, had to be completed first," Khristenko said.
He said that all the related documents, including the Transit Protocol, were a real legal basis reducing the risks for corporations and businesses working in the energy sector.
Khristenko refused to say when the difficult talks might be completed but said that they had no political undertones in them.
"There is no political agenda here," he said. "It is clearly a pragmatic approach to negotiations."
When asked whether the Charter that has been signed by 52 European and Asian nations was in Russia's interests, he said, "It has the right to exist if it meets the interests of all parties concerned."
In his comments on possible progress on the issue at the upcoming summit of the Group of Eight industrialized nations on July 15-17 in St. Petersburg, Khristenko said the remaining disagreements on the document had to be resolved by Russia and the EU.
"I do not think that talks within the G8 can replace the negotiations on the Charter," Khristenko said.
At a summit with the EU on the Black Sea coast on May 25, Russian President Vladimir Putin said the Energy Charter meant free access to production and transportation infrastructure, but added: "The question is what we will get in return. We ask where your deposits and pipelines are. If [Europe] does not have any, then we have to look for other areas of cooperation."
