TENSION IN GAS TIES WITH RUSSIA PRESENTLY RELIEVED - YUSHCHENKO

President Viktor Yushchenko had a meting with First Vice-Prime Minister Oleksandr Turchynov Wednesday, who reported on the status of the Ukrainian side's debts to Russia for the natural gas supplied.

The vice premier assured the head of state that as of February 26 evening Ukraine's gas company Naftogaz of Ukraine paid a total UAH 2,200,000,000 to the companies supplying gas to Ukraine. According to Naftogaz, the Ukrainian side has thus settled its 2007 debt completely, the president's press service told UKRINFORM.

According to Mr. Yushchenko, he had a conversation with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on Tuesday evening, during which he informed him about the implementation of the gas-related bilateral agreements at the highest level. "I'm not satisfied with the situation endangering the implementation of the two presidents' agreements," Mr. Yushchenko said, adding that "emergency measures" had to be taken to settle the debt.

"By the time of our conversation the basic problem of gas payments for 2007 was resolved," the Ukrainian president said.

UKRINFORM