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Russia-Ukraine gas dispute

Ukraine’s Naftogaz transfers $30 mln of prepayment to Russian Gazprom for gas supplies

Gazprom hasn't yet confirmed the transaction

© ITAR-TASS/Maxim Nikitin

BEIJING, April 3. /TASS/. Ukraine’s major gas company, Naftogaz, has transfered $30 mln of prepayment to Russian gas giant Gazprom for gas supplies, a representative in Naftogaz press service told TASS Friday.

"$30 mln worth of prepayment has been transferred," the company said.

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Gazprom was not immediately available for the comment.

On April 2 TASS reported with reference to Gazprom CEO Alexey Miller the gas price for Ukraine in Q2 2015 will stand at $247.18 per 1,000 cubic meters. Naftogaz of Ukraine and Gazprom signed an additional agreement regulating technical issues regarding implementation of 2009 contract on gas supplies to Ukraine, similar to that effective within "winter package." Miller said the agreement regulates the mechanism of making prepayments for Russian gas, the procedure of applying for supplies, allowed daily volumes (from 0 to 114 mln a day) as well as issues concerning revising reciprocal payments and usage of paid-up gas, which has not been taken by Naftogaz in the previous period.

Gazprom would not ask for paying penalties on take-or-pay contract term for gas supplies in the second quarter of 2015, Miller added. "It has been stated separately that the agreement signed do not affect legal stances of the sides in the arbitration proceeding in Stockholm. The sides have been working, are working and will continue working in accordance with the contract signed in 2009," he said.

Also, CEO of Naftogaz of Ukraine Andriy Kobolyev said Thursday the company would continue talks with Gazprom on decreasing price for Russian gas. "$248 per 1,000 cubic meters is a price very close to the market price, but we’ll still be working at its further decrease," he said in an interview aired by Ukraine's Channel 5 news network.

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Russia-Ukraine Gas Dispute

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