UPDATE The gas crisis reloaded: EU urges Russia to immediately resume deliveries. Russia postpones the application of the agreement and accuses Ukraine of unilaterally modifying it

The European Commission declared that the agreement on the natural gas supervision between Russia and Ukraine was sent to all parties, and thus there is no reason to postpone natural gas deliveries, AFP informs. However, Russia declares that the document was changed by the Ukrainian part and postpones deliveries until all contradictions are clarified.

UPDATE: Gazprom, quoted by Reuters declared that Ukraine signed a new, unmodified agreement on Monday morning. Ukrainian negotiators signed, in Kiev, a new agreement and gave up the clauses that Russia rejected in the weekend. The new agreement was signed by Ukraine after talks between the EU and the two involved parties.

The Commission declared that all parties signing the reference terms received copies of the document, contradicting Gazprom officials who said that it did not receive the document.

Russia’s President, Dmitri Medvedev urged officials to halt the application of the document until all contradictions are clarified, AFP informs. Russia received the copy but it is signed with some modifications, Serghei Lavrov declared.

Medvedev declared that he considers the document nul. He added that the annexes and references can only be classed as an insult to common sense and a breach of the previous agreements. In a telephone conversation with Barroso Putin classed Ukraine’s mentions as unacceptable.

Putin underlined that the document needed to be signed by all parties with no other modifications. he declared that due to the crisis, Gazprom lost nearly 800 million dollars. Putin added that Europe needs to convey a clear message to Ukraine, to act in a normal and civilized manner.

Monitoring agreement, signed by all parties

Russia and the European Union signed a monitoring protocol of the Russian gas transit in Ukraine. The Document was signed by Deputy PM Igor Secin and Gazprom head Alexei Miller and by the Czech Commerce and Industry minister, Martin Rziman, Ria Novosti informed on Saturday.

Czech PM Mirek Topolanek flew to Ukraine on Saturday night to obtain the signatures of the other party and end the crisis, a press released of the government announced, quoted by AFP. Those European observers who reached Ukraine on Friday to monitor the gas transit to Europe studies on Saturday all the documentation offered by the Ukrainian side, Naftogaz vice president Vladimir Trikolici declared.

According to his declarations, experts include representatives from Gaz de France, from the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland and Romania. Putin declared, then that Russia will resume its gas deliveries as soon as the protocol is implemented.

Romania’s take on the crisis

In what concerns Romania, Transgaz general director Ioan Rusu declared that Romania cannot receive nor offer natural gas since it does not have the technical capabilities. Nonetheless, he assured that Romania can handle the lack of gas for the moment from its own resources.

Rusu explained that Romania is currently building such an interconnecting gas pipeline with Hungary between Szeged and Arad, West Romania. The pipeline is due in January 1, 2010 and will have a capacity of 4.4 billion cubic meters/year. The pipeline will measure 109 km.

The European Commission proposed Romania, Norway, Netherlands, Great Britain and Poland to increase their natural gas production to the maximum, to compensate for the crisis. Romania’s two natural gas producers, Petrom and Romgaz declared that they are already working at full capacity.