Translated material
Old order
Yulia Tymoshenko dictated terms to Gazprom
The Russian-Ukrainian gas negotiation process is still at a standstill. The parties continue to demonstrate to each other that their positions are principled. “There is an agreement between Ukraine and Russia that is valid until 2013, where the Russian Federation will pay for transit through the territory of Ukraine with natural gas,” said the head of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine, Yulia Tymoshenko, at the end of last week. “Therefore, as prime minister, I signed directives for negotiations with the Russian Federation that Ukraine does not plan to propose any changes to the conditions for the transit of Russian gas through the territory of Ukraine,” she said. - We are absolutely satisfied with the order that has worked for 14 years, and we, as a country that carries out transit, are now calling exactly this transit fee for concluding all agreements for the future. That is, this order will remain, and there is a decision, including one adopted protocol at a government meeting.”These statements were made after the next round of negotiations between Gazprom and Naftogaz of Ukraine on the terms of transit of Russian gas through the territory of Ukraine in 2006 ended without results. Let us recall that in Kyiv they want to maintain the current payment formula: for transportation services, Gazprom gives raw materials to Naftogaz at a price of $50 per thousand cubic meters. Moscow insists on abandoning barter and switching to average European gas prices and transit rates. At the last meeting at the level of deputy chairmen of the boards of the two companies, it was possible to agree only on the timing of submitting proposals to their governments - within two weeks.
The head of Naftogaz, Alexey Ivchenko, said that “the next stage of negotiations will take place on September 15 in Kyiv at the level of ministers Viktor Khristenko and Ivan Plachkov.” However, Ms. Tymoshenko's statements indicate that without political decisions (at the level of heads of state), Russia and Ukraine by the end of the year will find themselves on the brink of a gas war, which could freeze half of Europe.