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Ukraine signs agreement to import gas via Slovakia

KIEV, January 15. /ITAR-TASS/. Ukraine has signed an agreement under which natural gas supplies will be possible via Slovakia, Minister of Energy and Coal Industry Eduard Stavitsky said on Wednesday.

“We signed the document and sent it to Slovakia,” the minister said.

At the end of November 2013 Stavitsky told a news conference that Slovakia’s Eustream gave an agreement to pump gas via its territory. Two routes are expected to be used, he said.

“It is necessary to provide funding to a route to make it to work. Till September 2014 we’ll have an opportunity to pump 10 billion cubic metres of gas to Ukraine by this route via the territory of Slovakia,” Stavitsky said.

Over a year Kiev insisted the Slovak route be opened to diversify gas supplies. The high price of Russian gas was a reason.

Meanwhile, on December 17, 2013 the Russian-Ukrainian interstate commission agreed to reduce prices for Russian gas up to 268.5 dollars per 1,000 cubic metres from January 1, 2014.

Stavitsky said due to the revision of the price the Russian gas was more advantageous for Kiev. “We purchase gas due to its best price. Ukraine will buy Russian gas because it is cheaper today,” he added.

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