There were grounds not to let Gazprom auditors to Naftogaz's gas measuring facilities, says company's CEO
Kyiv, January 1 (Interfax-Ukraine/Interfax) --- NJSC Naftogaz Ukrainy has no obligations to let SGS independent auditors invited by Gazprom to its gas measuring facilities, therefore Gazprom's accusations in this respect are groundless, a Naftogaz top manager said.
"We're not going to satisfy any whim," Chairman of Naftogaz's board Oleh Dubyna said at a press conference in Kyiv on Thursday.
According to Dubyna, to be let to Naftogaz's facilities, the auditors need at least to have permission from respective Ukrainian services.
As was reported earlier, Gazprom spokesman Sergei Kupriyanov reported that NJSC Naftogaz Ukrainy was not allowing SGS independent auditors invited by Gazprom to its gas measuring facilities. In his words, SGS representatives were arriving at the entry and exit points of the Ukrainian gas transportation network to see whether Russian gas transit to Europe is unhindered.
Gazprom stopped gas deliveries to Ukraine as of 10 a.m. on Thursday.
How the conflict is affecting the fulfillment of Ukraine's commitments relating to gas transit to Europe will become clear on Friday, January 2, Kupriyanov added.
He said Naftogaz was blocking the operations of RosUkrEnergo preventing the trader from extracting gas from Ukrainian underground gas storage facilities.