Moscow, April 6 (Interfax) - The Slovak gas company Slovensky Plynarensky Priemysel (SPP) has withdrawn its suit against Russian gas major Gazprom, in which it sought compensation for losses caused by the gas-transit crisis of early 2009, a source familiar with the situation told Interfax.
The suit had been filed with the International Court of Arbitration of the International Chamber of Commerce in Paris last December.
No one from either party has officially spoken about the case.
The transit crisis dealt a painful blow to Slovakia, which receives gas solely through Ukrainian territory. The country has its own storage facilities, but contracts with Western consumers had them locked up. For two weeks, the country experienced a shortfall of roughly 300 billion cubic meters (bcm) worth about $100 million (judging from average contract prices for the quarter).
Right after the crisis ended, Bulgaria announced it intended to seek compensation for losses, but did not file a suit. Russian officials had argued that the country’s claims were best directed toward Ukraine.
