G7 energy summit backs Ukraine over Russian pressure

Energy ministers from the G7 group of leading world economiesagreed Tuesday to help Ukraine after Russia threatened to halt gas supplies overunpaid bills in a move that could create havoc in Europe."We remain united in our determination to provide various types of assistance thatUkraine needs to strengthen its energy security," the ministers said in a jointstatement after the energy meeting in Rome."We are extremely concerned by the energy security implications of developments inUkraine, as a consequence of Russia's violation of Ukraine's sovereignty andterritorial integrity," they said."Energy should not be used as a means of political coercion nor as a threat tosecurity," said the ministers of the G7, which groups Britain, Canada, France,Germany, Italy, Japan and the United States.The meeting was preparation for a G7 summit in June which had been scheduled tobe held in Russia but was moved to Brussels as part of diplomatic and economicsanctions against Russia over its actions in Ukraine.The ministers praised the European Commission's efforts to identify possible routesfor reverse gas flow to Ukraine in case Russian supplies are halted and "to developemergency plans for winter 2014-2015".France's Ecology, Energy and Sustainable Development Minister Segolene Royal toldreporters: "We wanted to use this crisis to accelerate access to new technologies forcountries that are excessively dependent."The joint statement underlined the importance of Europe diversifying its energysupplies -- code for decreasing its reliance on Russian gas imports -- and ensuring abetter mix between hydrocarbons and renewable energy."Fossil fuels remain a key element and it would be impossible to abandon themfrom one day to the next," the meeting's host, Italian Economic DevelopmentMinister Federica Guidi, said at a press conference.But she said that "we have to support low-carbon technologies, the nuclear sectorand other sectors that respect the environment" and called for the development of Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) plants in Italy.For natural gas supplies, Guidi said Italy gave strategic importance to the SouthStream pipeline which would carry Russian gas to Europe avoiding Ukraine and theTAP line that would pump through Azerbaijan gas.Russia has said it could restrict gas supplies to Ukraine if Kiev fails to make a pre- payment in May.It made a similar move in 2009 when supplies to Europe moving through Ukrainewere badly disrupted.Russia accounts for about a quarter of all EU gas supplies while Ukraine's pipelinescarry about half of those imports each year.Slovakia and Ukraine last week signed a deal that would give Kiev access toEuropean supplies in a "reverse flow" arrangement as an alternative source.