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Issue of Russia’s gas transit via Ukraine to be settled after court disputes are resolved

"In order to achieve this aim, it is necessary to coordinate relations between the involved companies," First Deputy Head of the Russian government office Sergei Prikhodko added

MOSCOW, June 24. /TASS/. Russia is ready to continue with its natural gas transit via the territory of Ukraine after 2019 based on economically profitable conditions and a just decision of court disputes between Ukraine’s Naftogaz energy company and Russian energy giant Gazprom, First Deputy Head of the Russian government office Sergei Prikhodko said.

"As for the transit of the Russian natural gas across the territory of Ukraine, we are ready to maintain it based on the economically beneficial conditions and the just settlement of all court disputes between Gazprom and Naftogaz," Prikhodko told journalists.

He stressed that the concept of the currently under construction Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline project did not stipulate an end to natural gas transit "along the routes via Ukraine as well as other countries."

"Russia has repeatedly stated its readiness to maintain gas transits via the Ukrainian gas distribution system after 2019 based on the mutually acceptable terms," Prikhodko said.

"In order to achieve this aim, it is necessary to coordinate relations between the involved companies, agree on economic conditions and to form an atmosphere, which would provide for a civilized dialogue," he added.

Asked by journalists whether the Nord Stream 2 project would be on the agenda of talks between Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev and his French colleague Edouard Philippe in Le Havre on Monday, Prikhodko said Russia "was ready to discuss any issue, including the one regarding the supplies of the Russian natural gas to Europe."

Russian Prime Minister Medvedev is paying on Monday an official visit to Le Havre, in the north of France, upon an official invitation from French Prime Minister Philippe to discuss issues of bilateral cooperation in the spheres of the trade and economy, investment, energy, industry, culture and humanitarian ties and many other.

The Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline is scheduled to be put into operation in late 2019. Each of the pipeline’s two stretches will have a capacity of 27.5 bln cubic meters. The pipeline, set to run from the Russian coast along the Baltic Sea bed to the German shore, is expected to connect the Russian resource base with European customers. The total project cost of the Nord Stream 2 is estimated at €9.9 bln.

The gas pipeline will not cross transit countries such as Ukraine, Belarus and Poland, running through the exclusive economic zones and territorial waters of Russia, Finland, Sweden, Denmark and Germany.