The European Commission said earlier on Wednesday it had filed formal anti-trust charges against Gazprom over alleged overcharging customers in Central and Eastern Europe.
"Gazprom considers the charges pressed by the European Commission unfounded while the Statement of Objections to Gazprom is simply part of an ongoing anti-trust investigation, which does not mean that Gazprom has been found guilty of any violation of EU anti-trust legislation," the company stressed.
The company added it was expecting the resolution of the situation on the basis of a previous deal between Moscow and Brussels to seek a mutually-accepted decision on the anti-trust investigation.
The European Commission said earlier that Gazprom has 12 weeks to respond to the Statement of Objections, and expressed interest in bilateral talks on the matter with company representatives. It added that Gazprom might be obliged to pay a fine equal to up to 10 percent of its gross global trade.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said earlier in the day that all contracts signed between Gazprom and its partners are in accordance with legislation effective in the European Union at the time of the signing.
