Gazprom says no more talks on gas volumes for Ukraine
MOSCOW. January 13. KAZINFORM Russia's gas giant Gazprom said on Thursday it will no longer negotiate the amount of natural gas to be supplied to Ukraine in 2012 and said Ukrainian statements to reduce gas imports to 27 billion cubic meters did not comply with the terms of the contract signed in 2009; Kazinform refers to Itar-Tass.
"The time for discussing contracted amounts in 2012 has been lost. Unfortunately, we have to again remind our Ukrainian friends that gas supply terms on the market are determined only by contract and cannot be changed by letters in a unilateral way," Gazprom spokesman Sergei Kupriyanov said.
Ukraine's Naftogaz said it had timely informed Gazprom about plans to cut the amount of imported Russian gas to 27 billion cubic meters in 2012 and referred to the contracted option of reducing the agreed amount by 20 percent. The company said it sent a corresponding letter to Gazprom last May.
But Kupriyanov said "no documents to change the volume of Russian gas supplies to Ukraine have been signed" and Ukraine has never raised the issue of decreased imports at talks on reducing the price for Russian gas.
"Most likely it (the price) suits them," he said.
The spokesman recalled Ukraine has to buy 52 billion cubic meters of gas from Russia this year. The envisaged 20 percent reduction "even theoretically cannot decrease it to 27 billion cubic meters," he said.
On Wednesday Gazprom CEO Alexei Miller informed President Dmitry Medvedev about Ukrainian plans. "Ukraine made the statement without any agreement with the Russian side," he said adding such agreement should have been reached at least half a year in advance. Miller also said the take-or-pay term remains valid for any non-agreed decrease in supplies; Kazinform cites Itar-Tass.
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