Ukraine says it is ready to sign gas deal with RussiaRIA Novosti Ukraine is ready to sign a package agreement with Gazprom based on proposals made by the European Commission, Ukrainian Energy Minister Yuriy Prodan said during his visit to Brussels Wednesday, RIA Novosti reports."Ukraine is ready to sign a so-called package agreement with the Russian side [based] on proposals made by the European Commission during the previous round of negotiations in Kiev, and work only on such a package agreement," RIA Novosti quotes Prodan as saying in Brussels, where he was to meet with EU Energy Commissioner Guenther Oettinger.The European Commission proposed a sparing repayment scheme for Ukraine's gas debt. Under the suggested terms, Kiev would pay off $1 billion on June 16, and the rest would be settled with Gazprom in another six payments over the remainder of the year.The commission also recommended an adjustable price specific to seasonal gas demand: $300 per one thousand cubic meters of Russian gas during the summer, when demand for fuel is low, and $385 for the winter.The Russian compromise was a $100 discount to the contract price, bringing it down to $385, as well as a phased debt repayment scheme, calculated using the discount before June 26. Ukraine rejected the offer, dissatisfied with the discount mechanism, as the reduction would have come as a result of lower export duties. Kiev pushed for revisions to the contract itself, deadlocking the negotiations.
RIA Novosti
Ukraine is ready to sign a package agreement with Gazprom based on proposals made by the European Commission, Ukrainian Energy Minister Yuriy Prodan said during his visit to Brussels Wednesday, RIA Novosti reports."Ukraine is ready to sign a so-called package agreement with the Russian side [based] on proposals made by the European Commission during the previous round of negotiations in Kiev, and work only on such a package agreement," RIA Novosti quotes Prodan as saying in Brussels, where he was to meet with EU Energy Commissioner Guenther Oettinger.The European Commission proposed a sparing repayment scheme for Ukraine's gas debt. Under the suggested terms, Kiev would pay off $1 billion on June 16, and the rest would be settled with Gazprom in another six payments over the remainder of the year.The commission also recommended an adjustable price specific to seasonal gas demand: $300 per one thousand cubic meters of Russian gas during the summer, when demand for fuel is low, and $385 for the winter.The Russian compromise was a $100 discount to the contract price, bringing it down to $385, as well as a phased debt repayment scheme, calculated using the discount before June 26. Ukraine rejected the offer, dissatisfied with the discount mechanism, as the reduction would have come as a result of lower export duties. Kiev pushed for revisions to the contract itself, deadlocking the negotiations.
