UPDATE: CEO: Gazprom can discuss 25% cheaper gas for Ukraine

(Adds details in last 2 paragraphs)

ST. PETERSBURG/KIEV, Jun 7 (PRIME) -- Russian gas giant Gazprom is ready to start talks on direct gas supplies to Ukraine and the price for end consumers can be 25% lower as compared with reverse gas supplies from the E.U., CEO Alexei Miller said after a meeting with Ukrainian state officials.

“We confirm the price level which was discussed at previous meetings, the level at which we will be ready to directly ship gas to Ukraine, and we are ready to start negotiations to prepare an agreement on Russian gas supplies, which would ensure the price level for end consumers at 25% lower than the current price,” Miller said.

Ukraine ceased gas purchases from Russia in November 2015. The current supply and transit contracts between Russia and Ukraine expire at the end of 2019.

Russia’s Energy Ministry said in a statement that Minister Alexander Novak has discussed gas transit to Europe across Ukraine at a meeting with Germany’s Energy Minister Peter Altmaier.

CEO of Ukrainian energy holding Naftogaz Ukrainy Andrei Kobolev said in a post on his Facebook account that the company is ready to negotiate with Russia only with participation of the E.U.

“We are always ready for negotiations, but only trilaterally, any new contracts must be signed on the basis of the European rules and with respect to the decisions of international arbitration courts,” Kobolev said.

End