Ukraine agreed that the price of the Russian natural gas, consumed in January-February of 2008, will make up US $321 for a thousand cubic meters.

“Kommersant-Ukraine” daily (#41 (626) of March 11), reads that it has at its disposal an agreement, which was signed on March 6 by Naftohaz Ukrayiny deputy CEO Ihor Didenko and RosUkrEnergo chief executives Dmitriy Glebko and Konstantin Chuychenko (a member of Gazprom board). The document appeared after the crisis in the Ukraine-Russia gas relations was settled. In line with the agreement, Naftohaz buys Russian gas, supplied in January-February of 2008, from RosUkrEnergo at US $321 for a thousand cubic meters. At the same time, the agreement lacks a provision, in line with which the gas is sold to Naftohaz Ukrayiny through UkrGaz-Energo. Thus, this is the first contract over the last three years, signed directly between Naftohaz and RosUkrEnergo, the newspaper reads.

Видео дня

The newspaper also points out that volumes of the purchase are not indicated in the agreement. Gazprom spokesman Sergey Kupriyanov specified that the volumes are still negotiated. He was also surprised with the price, indicated in the agreement: Gazprom was talking about the price of US $314.7 for a thousand cubic meters of gas. Another Kommersant’s source in Gazprom disclosed that the matter may concern at least 4 billion out of 9.1 billion cubic meters, supplied to Ukraine on the whole. Another 5.1 billion cubic meters will be registered as supplies of Middle-Asian gas at US $179.5 for a thousand cubic meters. As a result, the average gas price for Ukraine in January-February of 2008 will make up around US $240 for a thousand cubic meters.

At the same time, Naftohaz spokesman Valentyn Zemlyanskiy claimed to journalists he does not know about the agreement. “Official talks between Naftohaz and Gazprom, in the course of which agreements will be elaborated, will take place on March 12. No contracts can be regarded as official before this date”, he said.

At the same time, a newspaper’s source from the Fuel-Energy Ministry of Ukraine, who participated in the gas talks on March 5, explained that I.Didenko proposed to agree with the above-mentioned purchase of the Russian natural gas, explaining that Ukraine is ready to propose any price at the condition that UkrGAz-Energo is removed from the market.

I.Didenko refused to comment on this information.