Photo from UNIAN
Ukraine hopes to continue talks with Russia's Gazprom in December to determine the price of gas to be imported in the first quarter of 2016, Naftogaz of Ukraine CEO Andriy Kobolev said, adding he was not able to predict when Ukraine would resume gas imports from Russia, according to Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty.
Kobolev also said Ukraine planned to import up to 1 billion cubic meters (bcm) of gas from Romania next year, as that country is experiencing an "insignificant oversupply."
Since recently, Ukraine has been sharply reducing or suspending purchases of Russian gas, focusing instead on the European market and buying gas based on the reverse gas flow model.
In particular, having purchased 2 bcm of Russian gas for its storage facilities in late November, Ukraine suspended gas imports from Russia. Naftogaz's CEO stated at that time that Ukraine would be able to provide for its needs during the winter without buying gas from Russia.
As UNIAN reported earlier, the Ukrainian Energy and Coal Industry Ministry expects the price of Russian gas for Ukraine in the first quarter of 2016 will be $210 per 1,000 cubic meters. However, Energy Minister Volodymyr Demchyshyn predicts that the average annual price of Russian gas for Ukraine will be at about $207-208 per 1,000 cubic meters in 2016.