Kazakhstan's newly appointed prime minister, Karim Masimov, today ordered his cabinet to ensure that oil producers working in the country meet their contractual obligations.

The European Commission is due today to unveil a wide-ranging vision of a common energy policy for the 27-country European Union.

Turkish Energy Minister Hilmi Guler today said he will meet with his Georgian and Azerbaijani counterparts in Istanbul "within the week" to discuss the sharing of gas from Azerbaijan's giant Shah Deniz field.

Talks between Belarus and Russia's state-owned energy provider Gazprom ended Tuesday without agreement, raising the possibility of a natural gas cut-off next week if Belarus does not agree to a sharp price hike.