President Viktor Yushchenko took part in a talk show at Sumy Regional State TV, president's press office reported.
During the program the President made comments on the budgetary
process, Ukrainian-Russian relations in energy sector, the need for
constitutional reform, Government’s efforts to fight the epidemic of
flu and explained his reasons for vetoing the law that provided for the
allocation of 1 billion UAH for the cause at the expense of National
Bank profits.
Speaking about Ukrainian-Russian gas agreements, Yushchenko
stressed that they should be based on market principles and that these
principles should be introduced simultaneously and symmetrically.
The President expressed belief that if fair market formulas were
used during calculation of gas prices and transit tariffs, the price of
gas for Ukraine would be $137-147 per thousand cubic meters, and the
market rate of transit tariff would provide NJSC Naftogaz of Ukraine
with additional $4-5 billion.
"We do not need loans, which the Prime Minister negotiates today
with Washington and Russian companies; what we need is normal market
conditions, which our neighbors have. We have a market price for gas,
but we do not have market price for our transit", he said
The President made an assumption that these agreements had been
concluded to bring Naftogaz Ukraine "to bankruptcy with the subsequent
withdrawal of national GTS out of control of Ukraine”. "Monopolizing
the asset was key political agreement made by the Prime Minister", the
President said.
Viktor Yushchenko stressed that the gas agreements with Russia, of
course, expect radical revision. "We can outlast the next few months
coming months, but it is only a chance to prepare to continue the
negotiations”, Yushchenko said.
