EU offers new framework of work over agreement on gas transit via Ukraine after 2020 – Energy ministry
The European side has proposed a new framework of work with the goal of signing a long-term contract for the supply of Russian gas through Ukraine after 2020, and the Ukrainian side hopes it will be signed before the end of this year, Minister of Energy and Environment Protection of Ukraine Oleksiy Orzhel has said.
"Today we've discussed with our European partners and accepted new proposals regarding the framework for working with a gas transit contract. We fully support these proposals and are grateful to our European partners for them," Orzhel said following the fourth round of talks in the trilateral Ukraine-Russia-European Commission format in Brussels.
According to him, these proposals "are based on a ten-year contract, as well as on volumes of 60 billion cubic meters of stable volumes and 30 billion cubic meters of variable volumes of gas transportation by the gas transportation system."
"There are additional points that we sign a transport agreement in accordance with European law," the minister stressed.
At the same time, he assured that Ukraine has a clear position in order to guarantee stable supplies in the European direction.
"We hope that we will sign the agreement (on transit) before the end of the year and ensure the reliability of supplies to the European market," he added.