Gazprom Calls for Gas Talks With Ukraine to Resume (Update1)
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By Stephen Bierman and Henry Meyer
Jan. 1 (Bloomberg) -- OAO Gazprom, Russia’s state gas exporter, called for a resumption of talks on a dispute with Ukraine that led to a cutoff of Russian supplies of the fuel today to the country, the second interruption in three years.
Price was not the main issue in negotiations broken off yesterday, Gazprom spokesman Sergei Kupriyanov told a press conference in Moscow today, adding that the Ukrainian delegation had no mandate to sign a deal. He said Gazprom has cut 110 million cubic meters of gas a day in supplies to Ukraine.
Gazprom is waiting for the Ukrainian energy company, NAK Naftogaz Ukrainy, to respond on the offer of new negotiations, Kupriyanov said.
Talks broke down shortly before midnight after Ukraine rejected an offer from Gazprom to sell it the fuel this year at $250 per 1,000 cubic meters, and insisted that Russia also pay higher transit fees. Ukraine said it is seeking a price of $201.
Russia halted gas deliveries to Ukraine at 10 a.m. Moscow time today, raising the threat of a disruption to natural-gas shipments to Europe. Both Russia and Ukraine said they would guarantee the stable transit of supplies to European consumers.
Gazprom, which supplies a quarter of Europe’s natural gas, mostly through Ukraine, cut Ukrainian deliveries in January 2006 amid a similar pricing dispute. The shutdown reduced gas flows to Europe and led to questions over both countries’ reliability as energy suppliers.
-- With reporting by Daryna Krasnolutska in Kiev. Editors: Guy Collins, Shaji Mathew
To contact the reporters on this story: Stephen Bierman in Moscow [email protected]. Henry Meyer in Moscow at [email protected]
Last Updated: January 1, 2009 05:43 EST
Email | Print | A A A
By Stephen Bierman and Henry Meyer
Jan. 1 (Bloomberg) -- OAO Gazprom, Russia’s state gas exporter, called for a resumption of talks on a dispute with Ukraine that led to a cutoff of Russian supplies of the fuel today to the country, the second interruption in three years.
Price was not the main issue in negotiations broken off yesterday, Gazprom spokesman Sergei Kupriyanov told a press conference in Moscow today, adding that the Ukrainian delegation had no mandate to sign a deal. He said Gazprom has cut 110 million cubic meters of gas a day in supplies to Ukraine.
Gazprom is waiting for the Ukrainian energy company, NAK Naftogaz Ukrainy, to respond on the offer of new negotiations, Kupriyanov said.
Talks broke down shortly before midnight after Ukraine rejected an offer from Gazprom to sell it the fuel this year at $250 per 1,000 cubic meters, and insisted that Russia also pay higher transit fees. Ukraine said it is seeking a price of $201.
Russia halted gas deliveries to Ukraine at 10 a.m. Moscow time today, raising the threat of a disruption to natural-gas shipments to Europe. Both Russia and Ukraine said they would guarantee the stable transit of supplies to European consumers.
Gazprom, which supplies a quarter of Europe’s natural gas, mostly through Ukraine, cut Ukrainian deliveries in January 2006 amid a similar pricing dispute. The shutdown reduced gas flows to Europe and led to questions over both countries’ reliability as energy suppliers.
-- With reporting by Daryna Krasnolutska in Kiev. Editors: Guy Collins, Shaji Mathew
To contact the reporters on this story: Stephen Bierman in Moscow [email protected]. Henry Meyer in Moscow at [email protected]
Last Updated: January 1, 2009 05:43 EST
