EU monitors arrive in Kiev to help end gas cutoff

[January 09, 2009]  KIEV, Ukraine (AP) -- The EU says its officials have arrived in Kiev on a mission to help restore Russian natural gas supplies to Europe.

A European Commission statement says the EU monitoring team will begin work Friday in the Ukrainian capital.

Russia's gas giant Gazprom vowed to restore gas deliveries to Europe after the observers from the EU as well as Russia began monitoring the gas flow at Ukrainian pipeline pumping stations.

Ukrainian officials say the European Union delegation will hold meetings in Kiev before visiting pumping stations.

Russia stopped gas deliveries through Ukraine on Wednesday as its pricing dispute with Kiev escalated. The EU says that deprived European countries of about 30 percent of their gas imports.

[Associated Press]

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