Ukrainian President Viktor Yuschenko discussed the situation on the gas market at a meeting with British Prime Minister Gordon Brown in London on Thursday.
“I had a fairly long conversation with the British prime minister devoted to the situation on the gas market, the delivery of Russian gas to European consumers. I had one goal: to provide information on the development of the situation and, most importantly, on the plan for a settlement,” Yuschenko was quoted by his press service as saying.
Ukraine, he said, is willing to transit gas to European consumers without payment pending an agreement on the price of the gas it buys from Russia and the rate it charges for transit. Supplying gas to the EU is job one, he said. “Despite impossible terms, Ukraine is doing everything to fulfill the function of delivering Russian gas,” Yuschenko said, adding that Ukrainian state guarantees have been officially provided to the Russian side.
“We are asking the Russian side for one thing: to open full gas deliveries as required in the relevant technical agreement. Ukraine guarantees the transit of that gas,” Yuschenko said.
Ukraine is fully meeting its commitments to ensure transit of Russian gas to European countries and has fully paid for gas delivered in 2008, he said. Ukraine did not siphon gas from transit pipelines, either last year or since January 1, 2009, he said.
“I would like everyone to know: Ukraine did not and does not steal gas. If that issue remains pressing, we will appeal to the European Commission once again on creating a special commission that would investigate the issues concerning deliveries of Russian gas, Ukraine’s fulfillment of transit functions and, the main thing, provide an assessment on whether Ukraine has been siphoning gas from Russian deliveries to Europe,” Yuschenko said.Ukrainian President Viktor Yuschenko discussed the situation on the gas market at a meeting with British Prime Minister Gordon Brown in London on Thursday.
“I had a fairly long conversation with the British prime minister devoted to the situation on the gas market, the delivery of Russian gas to European consumers. I had one goal: to provide information on the development of the situation and, most importantly, on the plan for a settlement,” Yuschenko was quoted by his press service as saying.
Ukraine, he said, is willing to transit gas to European consumers without payment pending an agreement on the price of the gas it buys from Russia and the rate it charges for transit. Supplying gas to the EU is job one, he said. “Despite impossible terms, Ukraine is doing everything to fulfill the function of delivering Russian gas,” Yuschenko said, adding that Ukrainian state guarantees have been officially provided to the Russian side.
“We are asking the Russian side for one thing: to open full gas deliveries as required in the relevant technical agreement. Ukraine guarantees the transit of that gas,” Yuschenko said.
Ukraine is fully meeting its commitments to ensure transit of Russian gas to European countries and has fully paid for gas delivered in 2008, he said. Ukraine did not siphon gas from transit pipelines, either last year or since January 1, 2009, he said.
“I would like everyone to know: Ukraine did not and does not steal gas. If that issue remains pressing, we will appeal to the European Commission once again on creating a special commission that would investigate the issues concerning deliveries of Russian gas, Ukraine’s fulfillment of transit functions and, the main thing, provide an assessment on whether Ukraine has been siphoning gas from Russian deliveries to Europe,” Yuschenko said.
