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Kremlin not confirm gas price deal with Ukraine -- Peskov

“We insist the 2009 contract on gas supplies be revised,” the Ukrainian prime minister stressed

Photo ITAR-TASS

Photo ITAR-TASS

MOSCOW, February 4 (Itar-Tass) – The Kremlin does not confirm an agreement on gas prices with Ukraine, presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov told journalists on Monday.

“At the moment we cannot confirm the agreement on the gas price with Ukraine. If such agreements are signed by the parties, we’ll report on this at once,” Peskov said.

At the same time, he noted that contacts with Ukraine “continue at the expert level and at the high level. The gas issue is on the agenda of relations between the two countries”.

However, Ukrainian Prime Minister Nikolai Azarov said the country would continue doing its best to revise the gas contract with Russia.

In his meeting with U.S. Special Envoy and Coordinator for International Energy Affairs on Monday, Azarov said the gas contract between Naftogaz Ukrainy and Gazprom “remains very hard” for Ukraine.

“We insist the 2009 contract on gas supplies be revised,” the Ukrainian prime minister stressed.

At the same time, he noted that Ukraine wanted Russia to take part in modernising Kiev’s gas transport system.

Earlier, Minister of Energy and Coal Industry Eduard Stavitsky said Ukraine had fulfilled the contractual obligations with Russia in 2012.

“As for Gazprom’s bill to Naftogaz Ukrainy for unused gas, I believe that there is no problem, i.e. Ukraine paid for gas in full,” the minister said at a news briefing.

Stavitsky said Ukrainian lawyers studied Russia’s requirements to pay additional seven billion U.S. dollars for gas in compliance with the 2009 contract.

“Lawyers are studying this issue and we will give a proper juridical response. I’m sure that we will reach mutual understanding with our Russian partners,” Stavitsky said.

The Ukrainian minister said he did not see any conflict between Naftogaz Ukrainy and Gazprom. “The legal process is underway,” he added.

“This is not pleasant and we realise this fact,” he said.

Stavitsky said the bill for unused gas was not linked with an agreement, which had been signed with Royal Dutch Shell on the development of slate gas in the Donetsk and Kharkov regions.

The official said a notification had been sent to Russia until the agreement was signed.

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