Even on vacation, Gazprom CEO Alexei Miller, right, gives orders to Naftogaz CEO Oleg Dubina.
Photo: Alexander Techinsky
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Ukraine Forced to Return Gas of RosUkrEnergo
Ukrainian government has acknowledged the fact of this year’s unsanctioned withdrawal of 1.3 billion cu meters of gas and ordered to return it to RosUkrEnergo (RUE). The breakthrough happened after Gazprom refused to negotiate a long-term contract with NAK Naftogaz, conditioning the talks to complete settlement with RUE.
Ukraine will return to RosUkrEnergo (Gazprom owns 50 percent and Dmitry Firtash and Ivan Fursin have the remainder) 1.3 billion cu meters of unsanctioned gas, announced Ukrainian Fuel and Energy Minister Yuri Prodan.
“A certain amount of Russia’s gas was delivered to us in winter, nowadays, it is being returned to Russia without violating the balance,” the official said, specifying that they are returning the gas of Central Asia’s supplies and it costs $179.5/ths cu meters. The settlement will be effected next week when signing the gas balance for July, people in RUE pointed out.
The root cause of Naftogaz decision to settle accounts with RUE was Gazprom’s pressure of no precedent. A high-ranked source with the monopoly said that, past week in Moscow, Naftogaz CEO Oleg Dubina was unable to negotiate long-term contract for 2008 gas supplies. Gazprom CEO Alexei Miller and his deputy Valery Golubev refused to meet with the Ukrainian bureaucrat.
“When Oleg Dubina arrived in Moscow for negotiations, he was told that Alexei Miller was on vacation till the end of August and Golubev was on business trip. The official, who informed him about it, also passed the wish for prompt settlement with RUE and pleasant return journey,” the unnamed source said.
www.kommersant.com
All the Article in Russian as of Aug. 04, 2008
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