Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko on Friday gave a guarantee that his country would ensure the uninterrupted transit of Russian natural gas to Europe this winter.
"We want to be partners, stable partners, so we will never initiate a process that would hamper gas supplies, including in the 2010 [winter] season, to the European Union. I ask that this be taken as a guarantee," Yushchenko said at a news conference during an EU-Ukraine summit.
He also complained that Ukraine currently pumped 1,000 cubic meters of gas per 100 km for a $1.7, a rate which he said not a single European company would agree to work at.
Ukraine transits around 80% of Russia's Europe-bound gas. According to Yushchenko, the average European gas transit tariff is $5-$6.5 per 100 km.
"We do not need loans. We want normal tariffs that will bring Naftogaz three, four or five billion dollars in payment for services provided by Europe's largest transiting company," he said.
Swedish Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt, representing the EU Presidency, said Europe would like Ukraine to settle its issues with Russia and to become a stable energy transiting country.
Gas dealings between the two ex-Soviet states have been closely followed in Europe after a dispute between Moscow and Kiev at the turn of the year left millions of Europeans without gas when Russia briefly cut off supplies to and transits via Ukraine.
KIEV, December 4 (RIA Novosti)
