MOSCOW, June 27./ITAR-TASS/.Russia’s gas giant Gazprom does not rule out gas transit via Ukraine may be stopped completely.

“What happened once is a tendency, nothing happens incidentally. In 2009, gas supplies were stopped completely — so, we know precedents,” Gazprom CEO Alexei Miller told a briefing on Friday.

 

Ukainian gas transportation system

Gazprom not interested in participation in Ukraine’s gas transportation system (GTS), “train has departed”, CEO said.

“The train has already departed. It seems it departed yesterday,” Miller said.

“It belongs to no one. The GTS has no owner,” he said. “The GTS of Ukraine does not belong to Naftogaz but to the Ukrainian government. Before discussing things with someone regarding modernization and cooperation, it should appear on the balance sheet of this or that economic entity.”

“Property and legal issues should be resolved first,” Miller said.

The Gazprom chief added that “a dozen Ukrainian laws need to be changed to be able to do something with the GTS.” 

“As for the continuation of negotiations with Ukraine, today there is no subject for talks. First, they must repay their debts,”  Alexei Miler said.

“The gas price for Ukraine is fair - this price is fixed in the contract,” he stressed.

There have been no requests on the part of Ukraine’s national oil and gas company Naftogaz Ukrainy on a change of the transit deal with Russia, Alexei Miller said.

Miller told journalists that it would be bad news if such requests had been received.

 

Supplies to Europe

Gazprom has started pumping gas into European gas storage facilities and it plans to pump 5 billion cubic meters, Gazprom CEO Alexei Miller said Friday.

The remainder now stands at 2.6 billion cubic meters, Miller said.

“The assessment on the maximum daily withdrawal from European underground storages that we can ensure is 54-55 million cubic meters,” he said.

Miller stressed that pumping of gas into storages will not “fully remove transit risks for Ukraine“.

The company does not rule out that it could limit gas supplies to European companies involved in gas reverse to Ukraine, Gazprom CEO Alexei Miller said Friday.

“There’s no physical reverse,” he said. “If we register reverse at Europe’s gas measuring stations, we will probably introduce limitations.

 

South Stream gas project

No changes can be made to the intergovernmental agreement on the South Stream gas project, Gazprom CEO Alexei Miller has said.

"One should understand that an international treaty prioritises internal legislation not only legislation of certain countries, but also of economic unions such as the European Union," Miller told a news briefing on Friday.

He referred to the 1969 Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties.

The agreements on the South Stream project cannot be denounced unilaterally, he said.

Gazprom hopes to have opportunities to replace Central Asian gas by yearend, Alexei Miller added.