KIEV, October 22 (Itar-Tass) - Ukraine has so far failed to source reverse gas supplies through Slovakia, Deputy Energy and Coal Industry Minister Andrei Bondarenko told reporters on the sidelines of the forum Oil and Gas 2013 on Tuesday.
“This negotiating process has slowed down a bit. Undoubtedly, without the third party, Gazprom global energy company, these negotiations cannot be a success,” he said, adding that Ukraine was making efforts to engage the Russian gas giant in the talks.
The deputy chief executive of Ukraine’s state-run energy firm Naftogaz Ukrainy, Vadim Chuprun, expressed the hope for successful implementation of the project. “In this respect Europe helps Ukraine much, in particular European Energy Commissioner Guenther Oettinger.”
“We are set to remove these hindrances to open for us the main corridor (for fuel supplies from the EU - Itar-Tass),” Chuprun said.
Ukraine had repeatedly mentioned that the technical issue of gas supplies through Slovakia had been finalized.
Gas supplies through Slovakia are assessed as a source attractive for Ukraine. The two countries are connected by four gas pipelines. If Ukraine used only one, it would receive up to 10 billion cubic meters a year.
Last autumn, Ukraine began importing fuel in a reverse deal with Poland. This year, Hungary became a supplier in a search for new routes rated a priority for the Ukrainian government’s diversification policy.
Meanwhile, Chuprun said on Tuesday that since October 2013 gas supplies through Poland had turned disadvantageous for Ukraine over their high price and had been suspended.
The Ukrainian government has repeatedly announced that under the 2009 gas contract between Naftogaz and Gazprom Ukraine received the Russian gas at a too high price. However, Ukraine’s efforts to reconsider the deal with Russia failed to be crowned with success.