According to Reuters article published on April 6 , 2023, Czech natural gas transmission system operator Net4Gas (N4G) has decided to start arbitration proceedings against a major Russian gas supplier over missed payments, it said in a statement on Thursday.
The contracts for transporting the gas made up three quarters of N4G's total 2021 revenue, the company said when it first flagged the missed monthly payment in January.
"N4G now notes that its negotiations ... about resolving the situation have not been successful so far," the company said in a statement on Thursday.
"Consequently, N4G has decided to commence arbitration proceedings."
N4G did not identify the supplier and a company spokesman was not immediately available to comment.
A government minister in January said that the Czech company had not receive payments due from Russia's Gazprom (GAZP.MM).
Gazprom did not respond immediately to an emailed request for comment on Thursday.
Russia cut off most of its gas deliveries to Europe in the wake of its invasion of Ukraine and as Western governments ratchet up sanctions against Moscow.
The Czech Republic, meanwhile, has cut its need for Russian gas almost to zero, securing alternative supplies through liquefied natural gas (LNG) shipments and flows from Norway and elsewhere.
Before a halt to the Nord Stream pipeline, N4G used to transport Russian gas from that route to the Czech Republic and onwards through Slovakia and Austria.
