Report: Russia ready to prolong gas transit contract with Ukraine

BRUSSELS, Oct 28 (PRIME) -- Russia is ready to ensure prolongation of the current contract of gas transit through Ukraine, Energy Minister Alexander Novak told channel Rossiya 24 after the Russia–Ukraine–E.U. negotiations on Monday.

“We emphasized again that there are still risks that our colleagues will have no time (to start operating under the E.U. legislation) and as plan B we are ready to ensure prolongation of the gas transit contract, which is in force today, to 2020. Although, if the Ukrainian colleagues are ready to work under the E.U. legislation, we are also ready to ensure transit across Ukraine from 2020 under this legislation as well,” Novak said.

Novak said that the sides had also discussed gas supplies to Ukraine and that Russia saw readiness for direct supplies. “(We) have also discussed the issues of gas supply to Ukraine, we see readiness of our partners, including in terms of direct gas supply from 2020, the precise volume will be discussed.”

The minister said that Russia and Ukraine agreed to intensify communication between the companies to set the tariffs on transit and the rules in conditions of the implementation of E.U. norms in Ukraine.

According to the minister, Ukraine had not articulated an official position on whether a court dispute between Russian gas giant Gazprom and Ukraine’s Naftogaz Ukrainy could be settled until year’s end.

He also said that a new round of the trilateral negotiations will take place at the end of November.

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