MOSCOW, January 20 (RIA Novosti) - Hungary...
Following Sunday's talks between the two country's premiers, Russian energy giant Gazprom and Ukrainian energy company Naftogaz signed on Monday a contract on Russian gas supplies to Ukraine for 2009-2019, allowing for the restart of gas transit to Europe.
"FGSz officially announces that gas supplies from Ukraine started at 1:20 p.m. (12:20 GMT)," the company said in a statement.
Earlier on Tuesday, Slovakia, which had been without Russian gas supplies for two weeks, confirmed it was receiving natural gas from Russia via Ukraine.
Russia suspended supplies to Ukraine on January 1 after the former Soviet neighbors failed to reach an agreement on a new gas contract for 2009. A week later, Gazprom cut off gas deliveries to the European Union, saying Ukraine was stealing gas intended for EU consumers.
Around 20 European countries were affected by the dispute, with the EU calling the cut in supplies "completely unacceptable."