Moscow  - Russian energy monopoly Gazprom said Saturday that it had resumed "to a minimal extent" gas deliveries via Ukraine after days of leaving the taps turned off over a payment dispute.

The move was to be understood as a "gesture of good will," Gazprom head Alexei Miller said Saturday in Moscow during a meeting with European energy firms, Interfax news agency reported.

Gazprom said the gas was intended for the hardest hit countries in the Balkans that were suffering from the blockade.

Sofia - The Ukraine has begun delivering gas again to Moldavia and Bulgaria, in fulfilling a pledge Kiev had made, Bulgarian Economics and Energy Minister Petar Dimitrov said Saturday.

Dimitrov said he had received information from a centre in charge of monitoring gas distribution in the Balkan region about the resumption of gas deliveries, which are coming from Ukraine's own reserves.

Earlier, Ukraine President Viktor Yushchenko in a telephone call with his Bulgarian counterpart Georgi Parvanov had promised to supply gas from Ukraine's own reserves, with Kiev aiming to supply Bulgaria with 2.5 million cubic metres per day.

Bratislava - Slovakia has gas for some 15 days owing to natural gas supplies from European gas firms, officials said Saturday as a shutdown of Russian gas deliveries via Ukraine continued for the fourth day.

A Slovak Economy Ministry spokesman said that the country boosted its supplies by some 7.2 million cubic metres from reserves of Gaz de France and the German firm E. ON Ruhrgas.

Slovakia is fully dependent on Russian gas arriving via Ukraine.

Kiev - Ukraine will send Bulgaria and Moldova gas from its own reserves, according to a statement Saturday from the office of Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko.

The two Balkan nations will receive two million cubic metres of gas per day beginning Saturday, according to the statement.

The decision once effective will re-open supplies to Bulgaria and Moldova after a partial Russian cut-off beginning in early January, becoming a total shut-off on Thursday.

Kiev - A team of European Union observers arrived in Ukraine on Friday to monitor gas shipments from Russia though the former Soviet republic to EU nations, Korrespondent magazine reported.

The team of technicians landing at Kiev's Boryspil airport was set to act as independent monitors at the six main natural-gas pipeline crossing points from Russia to Ukraine, and at the headquarters of Ukrainian natural-gas monopolist Naftogaz Ukraine.

Berlin - Stakeholders in the transport of Siberian gas to western Europe should form a consortium to manage the pipelines, a leader of German business said in Berlin on Friday.

Klaus Mangold, who chairs the Business Council on the East, said the consortium should unite the Russian and Ukrainian gas companies and the German utilities which are their biggest customers. He said other nations could be involved if they wished.

The proposal to form a consortium was first made in 2002 but failed to win political favour.