URGENT: Russia excluded from talks on modernizing Ukraine gas network

BRUSSELS, March 23 (RIA Novosti) - Russia has been effectively excluded from talks at an international investment conference in Brussels on modernizing the Ukrainian gas transportation network, Russian Energy Minister Sergei Shmatko said on Monday.

Shmatko said that the conference on modernizing the Ukrainian gas transportation system, convened by the European Commission, was limited to the bilateral format of discussions between Ukraine and the EU.