Alexander Medvedev, the deputy board chairman of the Russian energy giant Gazprom and the head of Gazprom’s export arm Gazprom Export, said on Monday that he plans to discuss a probe against Gazprom with a European Commission representative.
“I plan to meet with a deputy commissioner for competition and discuss issues face to face,” Medvedev said during a phone-in conference.
The European Commission launched a probe against Gazprom last week, accusing it of unfair competition in Eastern and Central Europe. The Russian gas giant is threatened with a fine of ten billion euro.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Sunday that the European Union is trying to shift some of the financial burden of subsidizing Eastern European countries to Gazprom by cracking down on the gas company.
The European Commission is investigating three suspected anti-competitive practices by Gazprom in Central and Eastern Europe.