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EU antimonopoly investigation against Gazprom important for Lithuania

European Union Competition Commissioner: European Union studying business practice of Gazprom, may lodge claims against it
Photo ITAR-TASS/ Sergei Karpov
Photo ITAR-TASS/ Sergei Karpov

VILNIUS, October 3 (Itar-Tass) - The European Commission’s antimonopoly investigation against Russian monopoly Gazprom is “a very important issue” for Lithuania that was among initiators of the action, the Baltic state’s Prime Minister Algirdas Butkevicius said after a meeting with European Union Competition Commissioner Joaquin Almunia on Thursday.

“It is very important to share experience while implementing competition requirements and shaping the EU’s competition policy,” Butkevicius said.

Almunia said in turn the European Union was studying business practice of Gazprom that was suspected of abusing its dominant position in central and eastern Europe. After the investigation is completed, the EU may lodge claims against the Russian gas giant.

Lithuania says it gets Russian gas at “an unfair price”, one of Europe’s highest prices - around $500 per 1,000 cubic meters.

Butkevicius and Almunia also discussed problems, which Lithuania’s trucking companies were facing while crossing the border with Russia’s westernmost Kaliningrad region. “I hope that we will manage to find a constructive solution to this problem soon,” Butkevicius said.