Photo from UNIAN
The National Joint Stock Company Naftogaz of Ukraine plans to sign a new contract on natural gas supplies during the heating season with the Russian gas monopoly Gazprom in September, according to Naftogaz CEO Andriy Kobolev.
"We hope to sign a new contract with Gazprom in September," Kobolev said when speaking at the 12th YES Annual Meeting in Kyiv.
Kobolev also expressed confidence that Ukraine would mobilize enough funds from international financial organizations by late September to secure necessary reserves in its underground gas storage facilities for the next heating season and to ensure stable transit to Europe.
As of now, Ukraine has pumped almost 15 billion cubic meters of gas in its underground storage facilities.
As UNIAN reported earlier, on July 1, Ukraine suspended gas deliveries from Russia after fruitless talks in Vienna and significantly reduced its purchases from the EU.
According to Prime Minister of Ukraine Arseniy Yatsenyuk, Ukraine must boost its reserves of gas in underground storage to at least 19 billion cubic meters by fall to ensure the reliability of gas transit.