DONETSK, October 18 (Itar-Tass) —— Russia and Ukraine may sign new gas agreements beneficial for both, President Dmitry Medvedev told a Tuesday press conference.
Medvedev promised that the new deal would be announced in public.
A new price of Russian gas for Ukraine will be announced soon, Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovich said in turn.
“I want to believe that we will dot the i’s and cross the t’s soon,” he said. “Russian and Ukraine should reach a level, which will open up prospects and meet their traditional relationship.”
“It is necessary to lift the concerns of European partners about the possible disruption in gas supplies. They should have no worries,” Yanukovich said.
“We steadily pay for gas and we will continue to do that; we steadily transit gas to Europe and we will transit it further on,” he said.
“All the rest, such as the development of our [gas] relations with Russia and the [gas] price, will be announced soon,” Yanukovich said.
“I am confident that we will always obey by bilateral agreements now and in the future with the appropriate attitudes,” he said.
Medvedev said he agreed with Yanukovich at 100%. “Every country must fulfill the agreements properly and precisely until new agreements are signed,” he said.
This is the principle Moscow is guided with, Medvedev said. “We have the related legal foundation: it may be ideal or not, but it must be honored,” he remarked. “Can it be changed? Certainly, it can if the sides find that mutually advantageous,” he said.
The chief executive officers of Gazprom and Neftegaz are working on this, Medvedev said. “I hope we will find mutually beneficial, transparent and correct ways of cooperation between Russia and Ukraine,” he said.
“They have the task of the elaboration of a modern and mutually beneficial formula of gas cooperation for years to come. As soon as the goal is achieved, we will announce the results to everyone and, if that is necessary, we will attend the signing of the new documents,” he said.