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Kremlin ready to defend Gazprom’s interests but hopes company strikes compromise with EC

Gazprom will defend its interests in this matter, and the government, as the key shareholder in the company, will also look after Gazprom’s interests

MOSCOW, April 22. /TASS/. The Kremlin expects impartial treatment for Gazprom under the antimonopoly probe and reaching a compromise with the European Commission, Press Secretary of the Russian President Dmitry Peskov said on Wednesday.

"We hope compromises will be reached. We believe such disputes should definitely be resolved in the course of negotiations," he said.

"We expect the absolutely impartial treatment for Gazprom," Peskov added.

Gazprom will defend its interests in this matter and "the government as the key shareholder in this company will also look after Gazprom’s interests," the press secretary said.

The European Commission said on Wednesday it sent a Statement of Objections to Gazprom, which is one of the process stages of the probe within the framework of the ongoing anti-trust probe into Gazprom’s operations in the European Union.

Gazprom believes that the European Commission’s claims are unfounded. Gazprom expects to resolve the situation taking into account the agreement reached earlier between the Russian government and the European Commission on a mutually acceptable solution for the antimonopoly investigation issue, the company said.

The Russian Ministry of Energy also believes the decision under the antimonopoly probe of the European Commission in respect of Gazprom will be reached in the course of consultations without politicizing the matter.