Topolanek meet with Putin

Czech Prime Minister Mirek Topolanek, representing the EU presidency, will meet Russian  Prime Minister Vladimir Putin to finalise a gas monitoring deal after supplies were cut over a pricing row.

On Friday, Topolanek, who met Ukrainian officials, said he had an agreement with Ukraine and a "similar pledge" from Russia to allow experts from either side to work in the other country under a process to monitor gas flows from Russia to Europe.

The dispute between Moscow and Kiev has led to the worst ever disruption of Russian gas supplies to Europe, has closed some factories in eastern Europe and increased fears in the EU over future reliance on Russian gas deliveries.

The row has increased political tensions between Moscow and Kiev with Russia accusing Ukraine of corruption and stealing gas and Kiev saying Russia is seeking to humiliate Ukraine. Both deny the charges.

The presence of monitoring missions along the transit routes for Russian gas will reassure Moscow that the gas it pumps across Ukraine is not being siphoned off.