Slovak natural gas utility Slovensky Plynarensky Priemysel AS, controlled by a unit of E.On AG (EOAN.XE) and Gaz de France (GSZ.FR), is negotiating with Russian gas monopoly OAO Gazprom (GAZP.RS) over possible compensation for losses inflicted on SPP by gas supplies cuts to western Europe from Russia in early 2009, a SPP spokesman said Monday.
"We're in talks with Gazprom same as several other European companies," Ondrej Sebesta told Dow Jones Newswires.
According to reports by the Russian Interfax news agency, SPP has filed a lawsuit at an arbitration court in Paris against Gazprom over the compensation.
"It's too early to comment on this any further and I can't confirm nor deny it," Sebesta said.
Slovakia along with several mostly eastern European Union nations were hit hard when Gazprom cut off gas supplies to western Europe via Ukraine during a dispute over transit fees between Moscow and Kiev.
During the January 2009 halt in gas deliveries from Russia SPP was forced to cut gas supplies to its main industrial clients in Slovakia, including heating utilities and Slovakia-based car makers.
The Slovak gas utility also had to pay extra for emergency supplies of gas from storage facilities in other EU countries, including the Czech Republic.