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Russia urges Ukraine to annul law on foreigners’ access to pipelines

Ukraine adopted a law allowing only the United States and countries of the European Union to buy shares of the country’s gas pipelines

© EPA/SERGEI CHIRIKOV

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MOSCOW, December 5. /TASS/. Russia filed a statement with the World Trade Organization (WTO) claiming that the Ukrainian law allowing foreigners to buy shares in the country’s gas transportation system was not in conformity with the country’s commitments in the WTO, head of the Russian Economic Development Ministry’s trade negotiations department Maxim Medvedkov told TASS on Friday.

Ukraine adopted a law allowing only the United States and countries of the European Union to buy shares of the country’s gas pipelines.

“We had suspicions that it was not in conformity with Ukraine’s commitments at the WTO,” Medvedkov said. “We have carried out an analysis of the situation and come to a conclusion that our suspicions were correct and Ukraine violates its commitments.”

“In late November we made a statement at the WTO Council for Trade in Services that the law counteracts the WTO standards and suggested its annulment.”

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