Prime Minister Vladimir Putin held negotiations with Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko in Moscow, following which Gazprom and Naftogaz Ukraine signed a contract for the sale and purchase of natural gas for 2009-2019.Part 1
В.В.Путин провел переговоры с Премьер-министром Украины Ю.В.Тимошенко, по итогам которых был подписан контракт купли-продажи природного газа в 2009-2019 годах.Part 1
Vladimir Putin:
Ladies and gentlemen,Following long and difficult negotiations we came to an agreement on all issues concerning natural gas supplies to Ukraine and Russian gas transit to Europe. The most important issue in these past days, especially for European consumers, has been resuming gas transit. I hope that all transit supplies to Europe will be resumed very soon.Gazprom has been instructed to start gas supplies along all the routes suggested by our Ukrainian partners, and to meet a day's demand of European consumers in full. Gazprom will undertake all necessary technical measures to achieve that. We expect our Ukrainian partners to promptly restore their gas transportation system capacity. Gazprom and Naftogaz specialists are already working on this now.I would like to once again express sympathy with European consumers, everyone who fell prey to the current crisis, which did not arise through Russia's fault.Prime Minister Tymoshenko and I have also coordinated the key aspects regarding cooperation in Russian gas supplies to Ukraine. I would like to reiterate that it is a separate issue, and it is not connected with gas transit to Europe. That is what we have agreed.I would like to highlight the main point: Russia and Ukraine have agreed to go over to the European market gas pricing formula beginning from January 1, 2009. I am sure that it will allow us to normalise relations in the gas area in the long term.In addition, all intermediaries have been excluded from the gas payment scheme. The entire gas relations chain will become absolutely transparent and predictable.From the very start, we have tried to develop relations with our Ukrainian partners on business principles that would eliminate various risks and subjective factors. I would like to stress that this is a long-term agreement, signed for a period of ten years. The second ten-year agreement, which deals with Russian gas transit to European consumers, is also calculated in accordance with the European formula.
I hope that this approach will allow us to build stable long-term relations both with our European consumers and our Ukrainian partners, which will help improve Ukraine's gas transportation system.I would like to express gratitude to Prime Minister Timoshenko, who took the responsibility for critical decisions that led us out of the impasse. Also, I would like to highlight the significance of the Moscow conference on Russian gas supplies to Europe, initiated by Russian President Dmitry Medvedev.The forum's participants openly and constructively discussed ways of settling the present crisis and averting such problems in the future, which is also of vital importance. I hope that we have closed the chapter on the gas crisis today.From our point of view, it is necessary to diversify energy supply routes to Europe as far as possible. We shouldn't limit ourselves to using the existing transit facilities; I have already mentioned that we are ready to consider working with our Ukrainian partners on improving Ukraine's gas transportation system.We also need to eliminate risks and diversify these routes, as well as build new pipelines, namely the North Stream along the Baltic seabed and the South Stream along the Black seabed, in the Balkan direction. Finally, we need to create new infrastructure to liquefy natural gas and transport LNG to end consumers.I would like to remind you that in a compromise, we made concessions that both parties found acceptable. I am referring to a 20% discount on gas supplies to Ukraine and keeping reduced tariffs on gas transit to Europe in 2009.In my opinion, these agreements are optimal and are in line with the interests of both Russia and Ukraine.
Thank you for your attention.
В.В.Путин провел переговоры с Премьер-министром Украины Ю.В.Тимошенко, по итогам которых был подписан контракт купли-продажи природного газа в 2009-2019 годах.
niknikolay 3 years ago
V.V.Putin has carried on negotiations with the Prime minister of Ukraine J.V.Timoshenko following the results of which the contract of purchase and sale of natural gas in 2009-2019 has been signed
niknikolay 3 years ago