Russia is ready to
keep gas transit via Ukraine, the issue is about the term, volumes, the
president said.
MOSCOW, December 19.
/TASS/. Russia is ready to look for a solution of the Ukrainian gas issue
suitable for everyone, although the decision of the Stockholm Arbitration Court
in the gas dispute between Gazprom and Naftogaz of Ukraine was political by nature,
President Vladimir Putin said at his annual news conference on Thursday.
"I am confident
as the lawyer by the basic education that this decision of the Stockholm
Arbitration Court is political by nature, rather than legal. One of the
justifications of the award will appear strange for those present here but it
is interesting. One of the justifications of the decision of the Stockholm
Arbitration Court sets forth, "in connection with severe economic
situation in Ukraine." This is nonsense… However, the [court — TASS]
decision is present; we should proceed from that. We will take it as a premise
and will look for a solution suitable for everyone, including for
Ukraine," he said.
Ukraine has not yet
repaid Russia the debt of $3 bln received from the Russian National Wealth
Fund, Putin added. "A portion of Russian reserved funds from the National
Wealth Fund was invested into Ukrainian securities worth $3 bln. The court
decision in London has already been present; it is not being implemented,"
he noted.
Gas relations with
Ukraine is a challenging and sensitive topic, the President said. "We want
to settle this problem," he added.
The president
expressed hope that the gas agreements with Ukraine will be reached, stressing
that Russia is still ready to deliver gas at a discount. "We would be ready to supply gas to
Ukraine at a discount, as I have already said, 20-25%. This can be done and
then it would be possible to reduce [the price] for the end consumer, instead
of increasing it as you [Ukraine — TASS] plan from January 1," Putin
noted.
"I think we will
come to terms. By the way, we are on the way to these agreements and we will
seek to make the Ukrainian side also satisfied with such arrangements. We have
no desire of aggravating the situation in the energy sector and taking
advantage of it in some way to influence the situation in Ukraine," the
President said.
Russia will keep gas
transit to Europe via Ukraine, though that route is more expensive, President
Vladimir Putin told his annual news conference on Thursday, adding though that
the main issue concerns the volumes and terms.
"Despite the
construction of new infrastructure facilities, such as Nord Stream, Nord Stream
2, TurkStream, we will keep transit via Ukraine. The issue concerns the volumes
of that transit and contract term," Putin said.
President noted that
Russia is not eager to conclude a contract for a certain period to be able to
suspend transit via Ukraine later. "That is a convenient route. By the
way, the Ukrainian route to Europe is longer than the Baltic Sea route. It is longer
and more expensive for us, though that is still a good route to central and
southern Europe, and we are ready to keep it," he said.
The current contract
signed in 2009 by Gazprom and Naftogaz on Russian gas transit through Ukraine
to Europe will expire at the turn of 2019-2020. Trilateral consultations
between Russia, Ukraine and the European Commission (EC) on the issues related
to the transit of Russian gas to Europe via Ukraine are to be held on Thursday
in Berlin. Currently bilateral consultations are underway.
The previous round of
trilateral talks was held on October 28 in Brussels. According to its results,
the parties for the first time since 2014 brought up the subject of resuming
direct deliveries of the Russian gas to Ukraine. Moscow offers a "package
solution" that includes a settlement agreement on legal disputes and
direct gas purchases at reduced prices. As a fallback, Russia is ready to
extend the current transit agreement for the whole 2020. However, Kiev refuses
to accept abandoning of legal proceedings and the signing of a short-term
contract.
Source: ITAR-TASS
19-12-2019
