KIEV, Mac 5 (NNN-UNIAN) – Ukraine stands ready to extend gas transit from Russia, if there is a request from the European Union (EU) countries, the Interfax-Ukraine news agency reported yesterday, citing Ukrainian Prime Minister, Denys Shmyhal.
“If the European countries act as a consortium or one of the European partners will act as a transit country for their gas – we are ready to provide such a service,” Shmyhal told a press conference.
Ukraine can seal a deal on gas transit with the European Commission, or a group of European countries that are interested in maintaining the transit, Shmyhal said.
He stressed that, Ukraine will not extend the existing gas transit contract or sign a new contract with Russia.
Ukraine’s state-run energy company, Naftogaz, and Russia’s gas giant, Gazprom, signed a gas transportation agreement in Dec, 2019. The contract envisages that Ukraine would transit 40 billion cubic metres of Russian gas per year, during the 2021-2024 period.
Last year, Russia’s gas transit via Ukraine was down by 28.4 percent to 14.6 million cubic metres.– NNN-UNIAN
