Price Ukraine pays for gas may be known Tuesday evening or Wednesday - lawmaker
The price Ukraine pays for natural gas from Russia may become clear on Tuesday evening or on Wednesday, Oleksandr Yefremov, the leader of the Party of Regions' parliamentary faction, said at a briefing in Kyiv on Monday.
The price will be disclosed when the relevant protocols are signed by Russian Gazprom and Naftogaz Ukrainy in Moscow on Tuesday.
"There is a protocol drawn up for signing by Gazprom and Naftogaz Ukrainy, because those are the business organizations directly concerned. These protocols include the question of the price of gas," Yefremov said, adding that they do not currently specify a price.
At the same time, he said: "The price will be decided in the context of the signing directly by the sides, who will agree the price."
Yefremov said the approach to determining the price is that it should not be higher than the price paid in Europe, should reckon with previous agreements and that it "must take into account gas transportation through Ukraine."
"By all appearances, the business organizations will reach agreement on these terms," he said.
Naftogaz Ukrainy currently pays about $410 per 1,000 cubic meters for Russian gas, including the discount of $100 per 1,000 cubic meters provided by Russia for extending the lease to the Black Sea Fleet's base in Crimea. Ukraine believes $300 per 1,000 cubic meters is a reasonable price.
