REUTERS
The Ukrainian delegation stands on the idea that gas transit via Ukraine must be agreed on market terms and according to European rules.
The Russian delegation at the first round of trilateral expert-level talks between the EU, Ukraine and Russia on gas transit held in Brussels Sept 12-13, refused to provide guarantees of continued gas transit via Ukraine after 2019, the year when the existing gas transit contract between Ukraine and Russia expires.
"The Russian side is actively lobbying the issue that there should be no guarantees of Russian gas transit through the territory of Ukraine after 2019," head of the National Joint-Stock Company Naftogaz of Ukraine Andriy Kobolyev told journalists Thursday.
"Their task is to deny us such guarantees and get the indulgence for the construction of the Nord Stream-2," Kobolyev said.
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"Accordingly, the Ukrainian delegation takes such a position: there must be gas transit via the territory of Ukraine, it must be one market conditions and – this is a very important point - we propose and insist that gas transit via Ukraine be carried out in line with the European rules," he added.
As UNIAN reported earlier, the existing gas transit contract between Ukraine and Russia's Gazprom was concluded for a 10-year period, until 2009. After its completion (from 2020), the Russian monopoly intends to minimize gas transit via Ukraine.
On July 17, the first trilateral gas meeting was held, where the parties exchanged views on a new transit contract from 2020 and agreed to continue talks in the fall.