Naftogaz wants trilateral talks on imports, transit of Russian gas

KIEV, Feb 24 (PRIME) -- Ukrainian energy holding Naftogaz Ukrainy wants to negotiate gas imports and transit with Russian gas giant Gazprom with the assistance of the European Commission; the date of the meeting has not been fixed yet, but it is unlikely to be held in February, Naftogaz CEO Andrei Kobolev told reporters on Wednesday.

“We do not plan to hold the meeting in February; we plan to hold it later. I believe it will be connected with a range of issues: both transit and imports,” he said.

“We are still considering the format. We plan to hold a trilateral meeting, but we do not know whether the Russian people will agree with it.”

In January, Kiev increased transit tariffs for Gazprom by over 50% to U.S. $4.5 for 1,000 cubic meters of gas per 100 kilometers. Energy and Coal Industry Minister Vladimir Demchishin said that Ukraine will bill Gazprom for transit to the E.U. in accordance with old tariffs until a new agreement is signed with the company.

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