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Future Russia-EU-Ukraine gas deal includes filling of underground storage facilities

According to the source, the Russia-EU-Ukraine trilateral ministerial meeting for gas will be held after June 20

© Valery Sharifulin/TASS

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Take or pay principle should be excluded from Russia-Ukraine gas deal -— Naftogaz CEO

BRUSSELS, June 16. /TASS/. A trilateral gas agreement being negotiated by Russia, the European Union and Ukraine includes the contracting parties’ liabilities regarding the filling of Ukraine’s underground gas holders, a diplomatic source in Brussels has told TASS.

The source avoided disclosing the details of the agreement on the agenda or speculate about the likely amounts or individual liabilities. At the same time he confirmed that the issue of filling Ukraine’s underground gas holders was considered, including deadlines, amounts, financing and terms of providing gas reserves for the 2015-2016 heating season.

The source declined to comment on earlier reports the European Commission was reportedly prepared to provide financial support for Kiev to purchase gas for storage. He invited to wait for the agreement to be signed.

According to the source, the Russia-EU-Ukraine trilateral ministerial meeting for gas will be held after June 20, with the energy ministers of Russia and Ukraine, Aleksandr Novak and Vladimir Demchishin and vice-president of the European Commission, Maros Sefcovic, as well as delegates from Russia’s Gazprom and Ukraine’s Naftogaz taking part.

He added that the participants in the negotiations were to consider "prices for the supplies of Russian gas to the territory of Ukraine and its transit to Europe in both summer and autumn period and to achieve an agreement that might be effective till the winter of 2015-2016.".

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