Kyiv notifies Moscow concerning 'reverse' gas deliveries from Europe; issue remains open
Officials in Kyiv have informed their Russian counterparts concerning natural gas deliveries from European suppliers on pipelines flowing in the reverse direction, but the concerns Moscow has raised remain unanswered, Russian Ambassador to Ukraine Mikhail Zurabov said.
"We know the position of the Ukrainian leadership, the Energy and Coal Industry Ministry. But this problem has not received a final resolution," Zurabov told Interfax-Ukraine on Monday concerning the so-called reverse deliveries of gas to Ukraine, which Moscow has charged could involve gas originating in Russia, in violation of existing agreements.
The Russian ambassador added that the issue would be raised during further consultations between [Russia's OJSC] Gazprom, [National JSC] Naftogaz Ukraine and profile Ukrainian ministries.
He also stressed that Kyiv-Moscow relations in the context of natural gas supplies are on a list of problems facing the sides, as are future purchases of Russian gas by Ukraine, and the unsettled issue of Naftogaz's debt to Gazprom for taking up less gas than contracted in 2012. He said these problems affect the process of creation a gas consortium to manage Ukraine's GTS.
"If [our] Ukrainian partners demand that Russia transport at least 60 billion cubic meters per year via Ukraine's GTS, then Russia will demand the clear fulfillment of Ukraine's obligations regarding the purchase of Russian gas," Zurabov said.
While speaking about Gazprom's $7-billion bill for taking up less gas than contracted by Ukraine in 2012, the diplomat expressed hope that the issue would be solved via negotiations, and not in court.
"We don't think that a solution to this issue and a compromise on this problem will be found in court," Zurabov said.