KYIV, Mar. 29 (Ukrainian News) – Ukraine’s Deputy Prime Minister Oleh Dubyna flew to Moscow Thursday morning to hold talks with his Russian counterpart Aleksei Kudrin that will mostly focus on postponing Russian trade restrictions on Ukrainian pipe imports.
Russian metallurgical enterprises have asked the Russian government to consider on March 30 the possibility of imposing restrictions on the import of Ukrainian pipes into Russia. The restrictions would either take the form of a cut in imports to a quota of 480,000 tons of pipe per year or a 40 percent duty imposed on all Ukrainian pipe imported into Russia.
Dubyna is expected to negotiate with Kudrin either the postponement of the trade restrictions or to ease the measures as much as possible.
During his visit, Dubyna is also expected to meet with the leadership of the Unified Energy Systems of Russia to discuss reconnection of the Ukrainian and Russian power grids.
Ukraine’s former Fuel and Energy Minister Serhy Yermilov and the Unified Energy Systems of Russia’s President Anatoly Chubais on Feb. 12 signed a memorandum to reconnect the Ukrainian and Russian power grids.
Dubyna said last week that the Ukrainian government was prepared to reconnect the two countries’ power grids on April 1 but added that the Ukrainian government did not want to import Russian electricity.
Dubyna is expected back in Kyiv on Friday.
