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Russia-Ukraine gas dispute

EC calm on gas transit via Ukraine

BRUSSELS, November 15. /TASS/. The European Commission (EC) is calm on the issue of Russian gas transit via Ukraine and continues working on the solution, EC spokeswoman, Mina Andreeva told a press conference on Friday.

"For our part we remain calm and keep doing our work, that is, to continue engaging on the trilateral gas front in order to precisely find a solution [for gas transit — TASS]," Andreeva said.

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Naftogaz demands $12.3bln from Gazprom in new claims

On November 14, Russian President Vladimir Putin told reporters after the BRICS summit that the risk of gas transit termination via Ukraine exists and that Naftogaz of Ukraine aggravates the situation in talks on a new contract with Russian gas holding Gazprom by new claims. Russia is ready to make agreements under any laws, Putin said. Russia stated its readiness to reach any agreements with Ukraine with participation of the European Commission, he added.

The next round of trilateral consultations on the Russian gas transit to Europe via the territory of Ukraine is scheduled to late November.

The current ten-year contract on the transit of the Russian gas through the Ukrainian territory expires on December 31, 2019. Moscow and Kiev are negotiating the future of gas transit via Ukraine. Russia suggests that mutual claims in the gas dispute should be reduced to zero, while Gazprom is ready to reduce tariffs on gas supplies. As an alternative, Moscow is ready to extend the transit agreement for 2020.

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Russia-Ukraine Gas Dispute

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