Naftogaz unlikely to accept short-term Gazprom deal

Ukraine’s Naftogaz has yet to respond to Russian gas supplier Gazprom’s latest proposal for a new gas transit agreement, but is unlikely to agree to a short-term deal, a Naftogaz spokesman told Montel on Wednesday, Montel news reports.

“Naftogaz has received Gazprom’s offer by fax [and] we are working on it and will release our official statement later,” he said.

“For now, we would like to note that the European Commission recommended a long-term contract with specified transit volumes and based on European rules,” the spokesman said, noting this would “satisfy commercial interests” of all parties and ensure Europe’s energy security.

“Ukraine will remain a reliable transit partner for the EU,” he added.