The Russian Gazprom sees no grounds to review the terms of the contract on natural gas transit via Ukraine for 2009.
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This is stated in the letter Valeriy Golubev, deputy chairman of the Gazprom board of directors, sent to Naftohaz Ukrainy Chairman Oleh Dubyna (Ukrainian News obtained the text of the letter). Gas transit is based on a long-term contract for 2003-2013 Naftohaz Ukrainy and Gazprom signed on June 21, 2002. “The contract includes all the existing terms to provide unimpeded gas transit via Ukraine. So, there is no need to draw up a new one,” the letter concludes. The letter is a reply to the letter Dubyna addressed to Gazprom Chairman Aleksey Miller on January 5 where the Ukrainian side suggested continuing talks on gas transit and gas supply in 2009-2019, and calling a meeting in Kyiv in short run to this effect. In its turn, Gazprom proposes discussing the contract in Moscow according to the international practice of holding negotiations in a seller’s territory. Preliminary talks on gas supply to Ukraine for 2009-2019 could be held in Kyiv immediately with the participation of Anatoliy Podmyshalskyi, a Gazprom special envoy, Golubev said. As Ukrainian News reported, the Kyiv Economic Court banned the Naftohaz Ukrainy national joint stock company from providing Russian natural gas transit at USD 1.6 per 1,000 cubic meters for 100 kilometers via Ukraine in 2009 under the contract signed in 2006 to be valid until December 31, 2010. The Russian Gazprom offers Naftohaz Ukrainy to buy natural gas at USD 450 per 1,000 cubic meters in January 2009. During the talks Gazprom offered a price of USD 250 per 1,000 cubic meters and the gas transit rate of USD 1.7 for transportation of 1,000 cubic meters for 100 kilometers (as it was in 2008). The Naftohaz Ukrainy national oil and gas company agreed with a price of USD 235 per 1,000 cubic meters with a gas transit rate of USD 1.8 for transportation of 1,000 cubic meters for 100 kilometers. Gazprom has suspended gas supplies to Ukraine since January 1, 2009. |
