Timoshenko voices new conditions for Ukraine repaying its gas debt
Ukraine is ready to pay off its debts for gas, which occurred in November-December, 2007, during the term of the previous government, but only if the debt is calculated in the prices of 2007. Yulia Timoshenko, the prime minister of Ukraine, made the announcement at a meeting with ambassadors of the EU countries and the Group of Eight on February 11, reports a REGNUM correspondent.
Timoshenko also noted that Ukraine didn’t consume the Russian gas in January, but consumed only imported Central Asian gas, and emphasized that Ukraine would fulfill all the obligations on transit of the Russian gas into European countries. “The actions of the government in this way will be transparent and predictable. Ukraine hasn’t broken its obligations on the transit in December, 2007 — January, 2008, despite the complex situation in the domestic market,” she noted.
Gazprom is planning to stop the deliveries of the Russian gas to Ukraine on February 12, at 18.00 Moscow time because of the delays in payments. The debt for the Russian gas delivered to Ukraine from January 1, 2008 is approaching the sum of $500 million, and the total debt on deliveries of the gas to Ukraine has already reached $1.5 billion. The price of the Russian gas delivered to Ukraine from the beginning of the year is $314.7 dollar for 1,000 cubic meters. 1.5 billion cubic meters of the Russian gas have already accumulated in Ukraine by now, they say in Gazprom.
12:08 02/12/2008
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