President's
Representative on Energy Security Bohdan Sokolovsky informed the media at his
today's press briefing that Ukrainian-Russian talks on supplies of Russian gas
to Ukraine and its transit are still going on.
Bohdan
Sokolovsky also explained Ukraine's position in these talks.
According
to him first of all Ukraine considers important observing agreements that were
reached between Ukraine and Russia at the level of two countries' Presidents, Prime
Ministers and energy companies in 2008. According to these agreements prices
for gas for Ukraine and transit fees were to be formed symmetrically.
Also
Ukraine would consider rational using formulas that are applied to European
countries that consume and transit Russian gas, when negotiating basic gas
price and transit fees with Russian side.
With regard
to tendencies at European energy markets, particularly to calculation of prices
for gas and transit fees it would be reasonable and economically substantiated
to use netback principle to calculate gas price for Ukraine.
Beside that
in view of unique qualities and functions of Ukrainian gas transit system for
European gas market Ukrainian side considers appropriate to recalculate gas
transit fees beginning from 2009 to level them with transit fees charged by
other European states.
Symmetrical
and synchronous reduction of price for gas ant transit fees beginning from 2009
would correspond with Ukrainian-Russian strategic partnership and the
agreements reached in 2008 at the level of Presidents of the two countries and
at corporate level.
