Ukraine's Naftogaz and Russia's Gazprom agree to meet
Naftogaz of Ukraine announced that an agreement has been reached with the Russian company Gazprom to hold a meeting by the end of March.
Writing on its Facebook account, Naftogaz said that it intends to inform Gazprom that it does not agree that the contracts should be cancelled.
“In addition, we informed Gazprom that the tariff must be changed. At the meeting, of course, the implementation of arbitration decisions will be discussed,” said the chief commercial director of the Naftogaz Yuriy Vitrenko, as quoted by the company’s press service.
Naftogaz responded to the statement of the deputy chairman of the board of Gazprom Alexander Medvedev that the Ukrainian company confirmed its readiness to start negotiations in order to terminate the existing contracts.
“Today Gazprom, in response to its request to Naftogaz of Ukraine, received confirmation of its readiness to start negotiations for the procedure to terminate existing contracts for the supply and transit of gas,” said Medvedev.
At a meeting with Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev, Gazprom CEO Alexey Miller said that “in the current situation, the Ukrainian side must prove the economic efficiency and expediency of continuing the transit of gas through the territory of Ukraine.” According to Miller, Gazprom is ready to listen and consider such proposals.
Two days ago, Gazprom said that the termination of the contracts with Ukraine will take one and a half to two years. Gas and transit contracts between Ukraine and Russia are valid until the end of 2019.