Sergei Karpukhin / ReutersA worker walks past a pump jack on an oil field owned by Bashneft company near the village of Nikolo-Berezovka, northwest from Ufa, Bashkortostan.
TheEuropean Union will consider "reframing" energy relations with Russia based onmarket conditions when thetime is right andfor now will focus onits strategic gas partnership with Ukraine, adraft document shows.
TheEuropean Commission, theEU executive, has set as apriority creating asingle energy market, based oncross-border connections toimprove security ofsupply andreduce dependence onRussia, which provides roughly one third ofEU energy.
Russia's long-standing energy relations with theEU andUkraine, themain transit route forRussian gas tothe EU, have deteriorated since Russia's seizure ofUkraine's Crimea region last year.
"When theconditions are right, theEU will consider reframing theenergy relationship with Russia based ona level playing field interms ofmarket opening, fair competition, environmental protection andsafety," adraft ofthe Energy Union Package says.
Fornow, it says it will concentrate onupgrading "the strategic partnership onenergy" with Ukraine, improving its gas transit infrastructure andenergy efficiency toreduce Kiev's need forRussian gas.
Inparallel with thefighting ineastern Ukraine, Kiev andMoscow are atodds over unpaid gas bills.
Russia's Gazprom last June halted supplies toUkraine over thegas dispute, only resuming deliveries after theCommission brokered adeal that lasts until theend ofMarch.
So far, theCommission has not been able tostart negotiating anew deal.
Underlining theenergy tensions, Russia onThursday started supplying gas torebel-held eastern Ukraine after Kiev suspended deliveries, citing damage tothe networks.
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European Union To Consider 'Reframing' Energy Ties with Russia