KIEV, January 9 (RIA Novosti) - The prime minister of the Czech Republic, currently holding the EU presidency, will discuss the situation around Russian gas transit to Europe in Kiev on Friday, the Ukrainian premier's spokeswoman said.
"The talks will be held in the evening," the Unian agency quoted Marina Soroka as saying.
Russia and Ukraine failed to agree on New Year's Eve on how to settle Kiev's gas debts or on a contract for 2009 deliveries. As a result, gas supplies from Russia to European consumers through Ukraine were reduced and then halted, affecting in particular Hungary, Serbia, Macedonia, Croatia, Bulgaria, Turkey, Greece, Bosnia, Italy, Poland, France, Slovenia, Austria, the Czech Republic, Romania and Slovakia.
The Russian government press service said Friday Czech Prime Minister Mirek Topolanek will visit Moscow on Saturday after his visit to Kiev.
Around 80% of Russia's gas exports to Europe pass through Ukraine.
Russian energy giant Gazprom earlier accused Ukraine of stealing more than 86 million cubic meters of gas since the start of the year, but Kiev denied the accusations saying that Russia was trying to discredit Ukraine as a reliable gas transit partner.
The first group of European Union experts arrived in Ukraine on Friday to monitor Russian gas transit to Europe. An agreement on the monitoring mission was reached between the European Commission and the Ukrainian government on Thursday.
