Germany, France Urge Russia to Ratify Energy Charter
France and Germany urged Russia to ratify an international energy charter that would provide the European Union with greater security for its energy supplies. The charter, drafted in 1991 by the EU’s executive commission, aims to improve energy cooperation between the EU and Russia. Russia has signed the pact in 1994, but is yet to ratify it. The charter regulates transit and investment in the energy sector and would allow for market competition between foreign and independent companies. Ratification would end the monopoly of Russia’s state-run gas giant Gazprom.
“In order to build a stable and balanced EU-Russia energy partnership, France and Germany consider that Russia should rapidly and effectively apply the contents of the energy charter,” said a joint statement issued after a Franco-German ministerial meeting here. The statement was quoted by Associated Press/
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