(ANSA) - TRIESTE - ''Gas supplies must not be interrupted. I trust Russia will respect commitments, Gazprom is responsabile for ensuring gas deliveries, according to contracts with EU companies''. This is what the President of the European Commission José Barroso wrote in a letter to Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Barroso reminds Putin that in trilateral discussions between the EU, Ukraine and Russia concerning gas supplies, the issue of the price of Ukrainian supplies has already been addressed and Kiev's government said they are ready to pay their debts. ''It 's absolutely necessary that all parties continue this process in a constructive manner and they should agree on the price in order to make it reflect market conditions'', Barroso said. ''As long as the trilateral discussions are still ongoing - he added - gas supplies must not be interrupted''.

President Barroso's statements are issued while Putin is visiting China in order to sign - according to what Gazprom CEO Alexiei Miller said speaking with Itar-Tass - a 30-year Russian gas deal with Beijing. The signing between Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping took place in Shanghai and the agreement is expected to deliver some 38 billion cubic meters of natural gas a year, starting around 2018. (ANSA) .