Interfax reported that the Arbitration Institute of the Stockholm Chamber of Commerce will examine the dispute between the Lithuanian government and Russian gas major OJSC Gazprom which together with Germany E.ON Ruhrgas are shareholders in Lithuanian gas utility Lietuvos dujos in June.

Sources said the institute appointed a tribunal of three arbiters at the end of 2011. The tribunal is scheduled to meet in June of this year. Before that time both sides will be given time to prepare their documents.

In the summer of 2011, Gazprom filed a request with the Arbitration Institute for arbitration against the Lithuanian Energy Ministry. Gazprom is asking the tribunal to recognize the Lithuanian ministry actions to initiate litigation against Lietuvos dujos at a Vilnius court and its top management as breach of the company shareholders' agreement and is demanding that damages inflicted by that breach be compensated.

On March 25 2011, the Energy Ministry asked the Vilnius court to investigate Lietuvos dujos and halt misconduct and to remove General Director Mr Viktoras Valentukevicius and management board members Mr Kirill Seleznyov and Mr Valery Golubev from the company governing bodies.

(Sourced from Interfax)