By Vestnik Kavkaza
Yesterday the next round of talks between Russia and Ukraine was opened in Brussels at 9 p.m. According to the official statement of the Ministry of Energy of Russia, settlement of all issues which are connected with Ukraine's gas debt to Russia is expected on June 10th.
Alexei Miller, the head of Gazprom, states that if Ukraine paid its debt for supplies in April 2014 (it is $1.454 billion and $3 billion for April-May), the Russian side would consider decreasing gas prices for Ukraine, for example, through reducing export duty. With zero export duty the gas price will be $385 for 1000 cubic meters. Before April the price was $268.5. It was raised up to $485 on April 1st. The Ukrainian side insists on returning to the initial price ($268.5) and payment of debts only after price approval.
The director of the Center for the Study of World Energy Markets of the Institute of Energy Research of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Vyacheslav Kulagin, speaking about negotiations on gas between Ukraine and Russia, urged both parties to look for a compromise solution.
He noted that "it is necessary to look for a compromise. To continue negotiations until one is found. Probably at first it is worth making any intermediate decision which will settle the payment scheme for the current debt and after that sign a final agreement."
According to Vyacheslav Kulagin, "besides negotiations at the level of managing subjects, the solution of a political question, i.e. negotiations at the level of the states, is inevitable. We, of course, need to come to it, at least because one of those possible discounts which has been declared is a discount on export duty. Gazprom can't provide a discount on export duty, it can be provided only by the state. Accordingly, there has to be the participation of the state and the companies in negotiations, for one side, and for the other."
He emphasized that "in this case, inevitably to consider not only a specific question of the price, but it has to be a complex consent of the parties on a situation which will include: volumes of deliveries, the obligation of "take or pay", the possibility of a reverse supply from Europe, transit aspects and a number of other aspects. In conclusion, Vyacheslav Aleksandrovich noted that "our authorities need to sit down at the negotiating table and look for a compromise."
