KIEV, December 21 (Itar-Tass) — Price of natural gas that Ukraine imports from Russia should not exceed $ 250 per thousand cubic meters, President Viktor Yanukovich said Wednesday at a news conference where he summed up the results of nation’s economic performance in the outgoing year.
“We’re convinced the price of Russian natural gas exported to Ukraine shouldn’t exceed $ 250,” he said.
Yanukovich admitted however it the eventual price that will emerge at the end of the Russian-Ukrainian talks is difficult to predict.
He reiterated Ukraine’s interest in having the price cut down to the averaged European level and in getting a supplementary discount of $ 100 per thousand cubic meters on the basis of provisions of the Khrakov agreements.
“We do need a European price, a fair price,” Yanukovich said. “And considering the fact that we signed the Kharkov Agreement, we’ll naturally demand a further slashing of the sum we pay by $ 100.”
He claimed that Ukraine is paying $ 515 per thousand cubic meters at present and given the effectuation of the Kharkov agreement, the price goes down to the actual level of $ 415.
“We believe the price Ukraine pays shouldn’t be bigger than $ 250,” Yanukovich said.