Russia's president Vladimir Putin Monday expressed hope that
Russia and Ukraine would manage to find mutually acceptable decision
to secure stable gas deliveries to Europe amid a new gas-related
conflict between the two countries.
"We expect we will be able to balance our relationship with
Ukraine's partners. I am glad that, unlike previously, the Ukraine
partners have openly admitted that they are taking more gas (than
agreed from an export gas pipeline running via Ukraine to Europe),"
Putin said at a televised annual press conference in the Kremlin.
The fact that the issue has been discussed gives hope for a positive
outcome, Putin said.
Putin noted that the two countries managed to find a compromising
decision on gas deliveries earlier this year. "I believe it was very
positive for bilateral relationships and the international energy
sector," he said, adding that both countries were satisfied with
these agreements.
"But despite these agreements, and outside of any conflicts we
have faced the situation then Ukraine had started taking 34-mil to
35-mil cu m/day more(than agreed) amid bitter cold weather," he
said.
To compensate for the drops in gas deliveries to European
consumers, Gazprom has started shipping an additional 35-mil cu
m/day intended for European consumers. But Ukraine has taken these
additional volumes of gas as well, bringing a total volume of gas
taken from the transit pipeline to 70-mil cu m/day, Putin said.
He noted that Ukraine has to pay for that gas. Gas deliveries to
Ukraine are agreed at 17-bil cu m/year, under a contract signed
earlier this month. "One day, this volume will be taken and we will
have to discuss further deliveries," he added.
Putin also said that construction of a new gas pipeline to
transport Russian gas directly to Germany via the Baltic Sea would
secure stable gas supplies to Europe. "I would like to ask skeptics
who doubted construction of the North European gas pipeline along
the bottom of the Baltic Sea, whether or not this pipeline is needed
to secure stable gas supplies to Europe," he said.
Ukraine, which is currently responsible for about 85% of Russian
gas deliveries to European markets, last week admitted it increased
consumption of Russian gas intended for Europe, amid bitter cold in
Ukraine, Russia and across Europe.
Updated on: Jan 31, 2006
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