UKRAINE WILL REPAY 2007 GAS DEBTS TO RUSSIA IN FEW DAYS, TYMOSHENKO SAYS

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Ukraine will fully settle its natural gas debt to Russia for 2007 in a few days, Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko announced having returned from Moscow. She says representatives of RosUkrEnergo and UkrGaz-Energo were present during her talks with the heads of OJSC Gazprom.

During the talks, the Russian side raised the question of Ukraine's one more debt to it: RosUkrEnergo and UkrGaz-Energo withdrew from reserve four billion cubic meters of Central Asia gas, debt for which must be repaid by Ukraine. The Ukrainian government will study the situation over this debt, Tymoshenko said.

During the talks at Gazprom, the parties also reached agreement on refusal from mediation services of joint venture UkrGaz-Energo, document about which will be signed in a matter of one week. National joint stock company Naftogaz of Ukraine will receive gas on the border from RosUkrEnergo, the Ukrainian Prime Minister said.

She said they had discussed the question of a possible future transfer to direct long-term contracts of Naftogaz of Ukraine with the Gazprom-Export company.

Ukraine believes that gas relations between the two countries do not need any mediation. Naftogaz of Ukraine "will be able to guarantee contract implementation and distribute gas in the Ukrainian market," Tymoshenko emphasized adding that refusal from mediation "would not destroy pricing policy".

RosUkrEnergo has been the main supplier of natural gas to Ukraine since April 2006, selling it to Ukrainian consumers through closed joint stock company UkrGaz-Energo.

UKRINFORM