MOSCOW, July 03. /ITAR-TASS/. Ukraine’s energy company Naftogaz has finished receiving bids on reverse gas supplies through Slovakia, the company said in a statement late Wednesday quoting Slovakia’s gas transportation system operator Eustream.

“Around 20 European suppliers have shown interest in supplying gas to Ukraine through the territory of Slovakia. EU’s major gas traders are among them,” Naftogaz said as cited by the statement.

On June 25, Ukraine's Energy and Coal Industry Minister Yuriy Prodan said that the country and Slovakia signed a memorandum which stipulates that the maximum amount of small reverse supplies stands at 22 million cubic meters daily and envisages large reverse supplies, which may provide the country with up to 30 billion cubic meters of gas annually.

Ukraine now pumps 22-25 million cubic meters of gas into its underground gas storages daily from reverse gas supplies and its locally produced gas, Naftogaz CEO Andrei Kobolev said on June 23.

Ukraine can pump 1.7 billion cubic meters of gas in June-July into its storages. In May, Russian gas giant Gazprom said Ukraine must have 18.5 billion cubic meters of gas in the storages to ensure a flawless transit to the EU for the next winter season.

On June 16, Gazprom switched Ukraine off gas over unpaid debt while continuing pumping gas to the EU.