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Yukos oil tanker - does the ECT rule-book apply in Russia? (Photo: Flickr)

Giant lawsuit to open new front in EU-Russia relations

A €23 billion legal claim against the Russian state over the break-up of oil company Yukos will test EU-Russia energy relations and Russia's fitness to rejoin the international "political family," the plaintiffs say.

Yukos' main shareholder, GML, has brought forward the legal challenge, arguing that Russia violated a major international energy pact - the Energy Charter Treaty (ECT) - by snatching Yukos assets back in 2004.

The ECT is binding on Russia because it signed the charte...

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Author Bio

Andrew Rettman is EUobserver's foreign editor, writing about foreign and security issues since 2005. He is Polish, but grew up in the UK, and lives in Brussels. He has also written for The Guardian, The Times of London, and Intelligence Online.

Yukos oil tanker - does the ECT rule-book apply in Russia? (Photo: Flickr)

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Author Bio

Andrew Rettman is EUobserver's foreign editor, writing about foreign and security issues since 2005. He is Polish, but grew up in the UK, and lives in Brussels. He has also written for The Guardian, The Times of London, and Intelligence Online.

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