“Gazprom has taken the decision to file a lawsuit with the Stockholm international arbitration court to force Naftogaz Ukrainy to secure unimpeded transit of Russian gas to Europe across Ukraine.

The lawsuit will be filed in accordance with the Contract of June 21, 2002 on the volumes and terms of Russian natural gas transit across Ukraine to European consumers over 2003-2013.

As part of this lawsuit Gazprom will ask the court to adopt in the shortest possible time provisional measures prohibiting Naftogaz Ukrainy to take any actions aimed at reducing the Russian gas transit to Europe.

I have notified Russian President Dmitry Medvedev about the planned legal action and he has approved this decision.

All the necessary documents will be prepared and sent to Stockholm in the nearest future,” OAO Gazprom Management Committee Chairman Alexey Miller told reporters.