KIEV, October 2. /TASS/. Ukraine hopes to find “an interim solution” to the gas conflict with Russia, Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk said on Thursday.
“We are looking for an interim solution to the gas issue with Russia. On one hand, Naftogaz is waiting for an interim decision of the Stockholm arbitration court. On the other hand, today this is the regular round of gas talks in Brussels,” Yatsenyuk said. “These are two possibilities: either an interim decision on the lawsuit or interim agreements in Brussels,” he said.
Earlier, Yatsenyuk said Ukraine agreed to sign an interim deal on Russian gas supplies until the Stockholm court made its decision. “We have a common position with the European Commission: until the Stockholm court makes a final decision, it is necessary to sign an interim deal on natural gas supplies,” he said. “The terms of such deal have been coordinated with European partners,” Yatsenyuk added.
European Energy Commissioner Gunther Oettinger, explaining the new agreement at a press conference after the meeting in Berlin, said Ukraine must pay $3.1 billion until the end of this year to repay its debt to Gazprom for the already supplied gas. The Russian company will supply $5 billion cubic meters of gas to Ukraine and give an option for $5 billion cubic meters more. The price will be set at $385 dollars for 1,000 cubic meters with a $100 discount (from $485 Russia previously insisted on). The discount will be in force only for the next six months.
Oettinger said final payment to settle the debts must be made after the arbitration consideration (no earlier than in the summer of 2015). The final settlement will depend on the court decision.