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Gas contract concluded by Ukraine with RF in 2009 cannot be terminated by court decision - Azarov

Yulia Timoshenko was sentenced to 7 years in prison for exceeding authority when signing gas contracts with Russia in January 2009

KIEV, May 29 (Itar-Tass) - The gas contract that was concluded with Russia in 2009 by Yulia Timoshenko cannot be terminated through court, Ukrainian Prime Minister Nikolai Azarov stated on Wednesday.

“The opposition, which is responsible for signing with Russia of the extremely disadvantageous for Ukraine gas contract is spreading false information that the government even has not attempted to terminate the oppressive contract,” Azarov said at a Cabinet meeting. Moreover, he noted, the opposition initiated a lawsuit against the government for not taking the necessary action to address the problem.

According to him, over the past three years, “every top level meeting between the Ukrainian and Russian presidents, prime ministers, specialised ministers was started and ended with the Ukrainian side’s demand to review the gas deal concluded by Timoshenko.”

Experts and lawyers believe that “the contract is so beneficial for Russia and so disadvantageous for Ukraine, that it is impossible to terminate it by any other method than negotiations,” Azarov added.

Yulia Timoshenko was sentenced to 7 years in prison for exceeding authority when signing gas contracts with Russia in January 2009. The Ukrainian side has so far unsuccessfully sought to revise the gas price and terms of delivery.

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