Greek DEPA Considers Compensation From Gazprom for Gas Delays

Kostis Khatzidhakis, Greek Minister of Transport and Communications, held a conference in Athens on the current gas crisis with government officials. He said the possibility of legal action against Gazprom would be considered by the Greek Public Gas Corporation (DEPA).

The Greek gas company's head Makis Papageorgiou told an online publication earlier Wednesday that DEPA could sue Russian energy giant Gazprom for the suspension and subsequent shortfalls in Russian gas supplies to the country.

Papageorgiou told that in line with DEPA's contract with Gazprom, the Russian company should pay for its failure to supply the required volumes of natural gas, adding that DEPA could "take legal action once supplies resume."

Papageorgiou said the compensation could amount to some 1 billion euros ($1.3 billion).

But DEPA spokesman Andreas Christodoulakis said Wednesday that the decision on a lawsuit against Gazprom could only be made at government level.

"DEPA is a state-run company, so all such decisions are made at the level of the Greek government," he said.

Author: Ksenia Kochneva