Russia stops natural gas shipments to Netherlands

By Zeynep Beyza Kilic

ANKARA (AA) - Natural gas flow to the Netherlands was stopped due to breach of payment, Russian energy company Gazprom said on Tuesday.

Dutch natural gas company GasTerra did not make the necessary payment in rubles for the shipment of Russian gas, the Russian company said.

Stopping gas shipment to the Netherlands between May 31 and Oct. 1, when the contract ends, will lead to a loss of 2 billion cubic meters of natural gas, GasTerra, the partially state-owned Dutch firm, said on Monday.

Gazprom previously stopped natural gas shipments to Poland, Bulgaria and Finland on the grounds that they had not paid in rubles.

Natural gas supplies to Finland were cut on May 21.

In the end of April, Russia’s Gazprom halted gas flows to Poland and Bulgaria, saying it would keep supplies switched off until the two countries pay their dues in rubles.