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Naftogaz CEO: Ukraine plans to buy "certain amounts" of gas from Russia until yearend

"Ukraine is continuing to buy and is planning to buy certain amounts until the yearend," Kobolev said, aired by the Ukrainian Fifth Channel
Chairman of the board of the company "Naftogaz" Andrew Kobolev. AP Photo/Sergei Chuzavkov
Chairman of the board of the company "Naftogaz" Andrew Kobolev.
© AP Photo/Sergei Chuzavkov

KIEV, November 4. /TASS/. Ukraine plans to purchase "certain amounts" of gas from Russia until the yearend, Naftogaz CEO Andrey Kobolev said on Wednesday.

"Ukraine is continuing to buy and is planning to buy certain amounts until the yearend," Kobolev said, aired by the Ukrainian Fifth Channel.

The head of Ukraine’s state-run gas company said the price of gas had been fixed at $227 until the end of 2015 and noted Ukraine had hopes that in 2016 the price of Russian gas would be competitive with gas supplies from the European Union.

"I have expectations which I am not ready to make public," Kobolev said. "But according to our expectations, this price should be lower."

Earlier, Kobolev said that Naftogaz planned to purchase Russian gas in the first quarter of 2016 in case price was acceptable, otherwise the needed volume of gas would be imported from Europe.

"The issue of pricing proposal the Russian side is going to make, is the issue of separate talks. We expect and hope that Russian gas producers will be rational and will offer us a competitive price. In case there is no such offer we’ll be purchasing all gas from Europe," Kobolev was quoted as saying by Ukrainian news agency.

Naftogaz CEO also said that "the issue of gas price for the first quarter of 2016 should be solved in December while signing of a separate additional agreement is not planned.".