Ukraine and Russia reach agreement on gas
Russia, Ukraine and the European Union have made an agreement Thursday, October 30th in Brussels on the resumption of Russian gas supplies this winter and the conditions of payment of gas debt of Ukraine to Russia.
Russia suspended its deliveries to Ukraine in June because Kiev had not paid gas bills dating back to September 2013. The debt was 3.1 billion dollars and its settlement will be in two tranches: the first before the end of November and the second before the end of December. Moscow said that they have made a concession because the Ukrainian debt was equivalent to 5.3 billion dollars. The money of this debt will be donated to Ukrainian funds Gazprom, the gas producer of which Russia is a shareholder. This arrangement saves a proven population by war. “Russia has always been a reliable supplier of gas to Europe and will remain so,” confirmed the Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak, at a conference in Brussels Thursday night. “We hope that this agreement will help normalize relations between Russia and Ukraine,” said his Ukrainian counterpart Yuri Prodan. This is a victory for Ukraine but also a personal victory for Commissioner Oettinger who worked more than six months on this agreement. He finished his term, Friday, October 31, with this signature. This is the Slovak Maros Sefcovic who will replace Mr Oettinger, when negotiations between the Russians and Ukrainians resume, in March 2015.
Déborah TASSIN- IEJ 1B
