REUTERS
The company will provide a constructive response once its has studied the offer, Vitrenko says.
National Joint-Stock Company Naftogaz of Ukraine on Monday received an official offer from Russia's Gazprom to extend gas transit contract from January 2020, said Naftogaz Executive Director Yuriy Vitrenko.
"Finally, we received by fax an offer from Gazprom, which all media have been writing about (including the content of this offer). We will carefully study it and provide a constructive response in the near future," Vitrenko wrote on Facebook.
According to Vitrenko, Ukraine will be a reliable partner for Europe in gas transit in full compliance with European rules.
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As reported earlier, Gazprom announced today that the company had sent an official offer to Naftogaz of Ukraine to extend the existing gas transit contract or conclude a new agreement for 12 months, taking into account the forecast demand of European buyers for 2020.
The Gazprom proposal stated that the necessary condition for the extension of an existing contract or the conclusion of a new contract is that both parties drop all mutual claims in international arbitration and terminate all legal proceedings. Ukraine also has to annul the decision of the Antimonopoly Committee to impose on Gazprom a fine for "violation of economic competition", while Naftogaz must withdraw its application with the European Commission on initiating an investigation against Gazprom.
On November 12, Head of Naftogaz Board Andriy Kobolyev said that if the transit of Russian gas ceases on January 1, 2020, the Ukrainian company will provide Ukrainian consumers with gas accumulated in underground storage facilities and, if necessary, imported under contracts.
UNIAN memo. The current transit contract between Ukraine and Russian Gazprom was concluded in 2009 for a period of 10 years. After it expires, the Russian monopoly intends to minimize gas transit via Ukraine.