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Azarov: Ukraine to raise retail gas prices only if contract with Russia is revised

The International Monetary Fund, which is pressing for a considerable 40-percent increase in retail prices for retail customers

© EPA/ANDY RAIN

KIEV, November 23 (Itar-Tass) - Ukraine will not raise the internal prices of natural gas for retail consumers until its gas contract with Russia has been revised, Prime Minister Nikolai Azarov said in the Shuster Live talk show on the Inter television channel Friday evening.

Azarov said that Kiev had made this decision known to the International Monetary Fund, which is pressing for a considerable 40-percent increase in retail prices for retail customers.

“Why should our people pay an abnormally high price of natural gas? Nobody in Europe pays so much. We have told the IMF - we shall agree a normal, reasonable price with Russia first. Then possibly, the question of revising tariffs will be brought up. We shall not change the tariffs as long as there is no agreement,” Azarov said.

He pointed out that Ukraine by no means discarded partnership with the IMF, but at the same time “it will never agree to unaffordable conditions for the sake of resuming financial cooperation with the Fund.

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