Russia refuses to let Ukraine cut gas imports
* Gazprom CEO says Russia sticking to 2009 agreement
* Ukraine wanted to reduce volume of gas imports
(Adds details, background)
By Andrey Ostroukh and Pavel Polityuk
KYIV, June 27 (Reuters) – Russia insists on sticking to its
current gas supply agreement with Ukraine, the head of Russian
gas giant Gazprom Alexei Miller said on Wednesday,
despite repeated calls for its review by Kyiv, which considers
the deal unfair.
Gas disputes between Moscow and Kyiv worry Gazprom’s
European consumers, because conflicts over pricing between the
two have in the past disrupted Russian gas supplies to Europe,
which are mostly sent via pipeline through Ukraine.
After failing to get a price discount from Moscow in
prolonged negotiations throughout 2011, Ukraine has sought to
cut the volume of its imports of gas, which were set at 52
billion cubic metres (bcm) a year under a 2009 agreement.
But Miller said on Wednesday that Gazprom was against
cutting either the volume or the price of supplies.
“We are working strictly in line with the contract, strictly
in line with this volume,” Miller told reporters after a Russian
government delegation led by Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev held
talks with the Ukrainian government in Kyiv.
“We see no reasons to review the price,” he added.
Continued…