UPDATE: Ukraine's Naftogaz wants to prolong winter discount

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KIEV/MOSCOW, Mar 30 (PRIME) -- Ukraine’s state-owned energy company Naftogaz Ukrainy has sent a letter to Russian gas giant Gazprom asking it to prolong the winter gas deal with a U.S.$100 discount until the next autumn–winter period, the company said in a statement Monday.

“Naftogaz Ukrainy welcomes the proposal by the European Commission to prolong the agreement approved…during trilateral talks in Brussels on October 31, 2014, until the next autumn–winter period,” the company said.

“To support the suggestion, Naftogaz has sent a letter to Gazprom in which it offered the company to study prolongation of the winter package.”

Russia will study the suggestion. “In this case we are talking about Gazprom and the Energy Ministry. But, as you know, no formulated position to this suggestion has been stated. The Russian side will decide on its position and announce it later,” Dmitry Peskov, spokesman for the Russian president, told reporters.

Naftogaz also said it received a letter from E.U. Vice President for Energy Union Maros Sefcovic with a proposal to hold the next Russia–E.U.–Ukraine gas talks in the middle of April in Brussels, and the company expressed readiness to take part in the talks.

Ukraine expects that the Russian gas price will stand at U.S. $250 per 1,000 cubic meters in April–June and that it will be even lower in July–December, but Russia said the price may amount to $348 per 1,000 cubic meters for April–June without a $100 discount, envisaged in the winter package.

The previous gas negotiations between the E.U., Ukraine and Russia were held on March 20 in Brussels. On March 27, Russia suggested to hold the next talks on April 13 in Berlin.

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