Gazprom CEO Alexey Miller may get gas back from Ukraine instead of money.
Photo: Ilya Pitalev
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Ukraine Prepares to Pay Gas Debt
Ukrainian Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovich will have his first negotiations with Russian Prime Minister Viktor Zubkov today in Moscow and will touch on the conflict over natural gas that arise between the two countries last week after the results of the Ukrainian parliamentary elections were announced. The procedure for the payment of Ukraine's $1.3-billion debt to Gazprom will include the return of 5 billion cu. m. of gas, worth $650 million, from underground reservoirs to Gazprom and the payment of $650 million in cash from loans from Ukrgazenergo and possibly Rosukrenergo.
After negotiations between Gazprom head Alexey Miller and Ukrainian Energy Minister Yury Boiko, Ukrainian authorities promised to pay the debt by November 1. A Kommersant source stated that Ukrgazenergo is to provide $400 million of the cash necessary for Gazprom, with the remaining sum to come from Rusukrenergo or Naftogaz Ukrainy.
Ukrainian authorities think that Gazprom is pursuing two goals in its policy toward Ukraine. First, it is trying to weaken Ukraine before beginning negotiations on the price of gas for 2008 and, second, it is trying to obtain a large share of the gas sales market in the country. Gazprom had practical control over industrial gas sales in Ukraine until legislative changes this autumn changed the situation. “We understand Gazprom's goals and do not intend to make concessions. We will pay the debt and sit down to the negotiating table over the price of gas,” a Ukrainian government source commented.
www.kommersant.com
All the Article in Russian as of Oct. 09, 2007
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