PKK lay down arms in northern Iraq in symbolic disarmament    At least 67 children dead from hunger in Gaza    U.S. judge blocks immigration arrests in Los Angeles over racial profiling claims    Trump slams protesters as 'slimeballs' after attack on ICE agents in California    Saudi Arabia reaffirms OPEC+ compliance as June crude supply hits 9.35 million bpd    Riyadh begins property acquisition for major road development projects    Saudi minister explores strategic industrial and mining partnerships with top Russian firms    Riyadh's Creative District to welcome Italy's Istituto Marangoni    CMA approves major reforms to ease investment account access for foreign and local investors    France's Lady Liberty artwork goes viral as a new Statue of Liberty could be in the works    Saudi population reaches 35.3 million in 2024, majority under 65    GASTAT: Industrial Production Index rises by 1.5% in May    Theo Hernández: Al Hilal can compete with Europe's best    Abdullah Al-Qaisoom wins silver at Asian Youth and Junior Weightlifting Championship    Aubameyang's future at Al Qadsiah in doubt after cryptic post comparing Saudi League strikers    Makkah Deputy Emir leads washing of Holy Kaaba    SFDA approves 'Winrevair' for rare pulmonary hypertension treatment    HONOR returns to Esports World Cup as Official Smartphone Partner for 2025 The renewed commitment will see HONOR elevate mobile esports competition with cutting-edge AI technologies and industry-leading hardware    Michael Madsen, actor of 'Kill Bill' and 'Reservoir Dogs' fame, dead at 67    BTS are back: K-pop band confirm new album and tour    Sholay: Bollywood epic roars back to big screen after 50 years with new ending    Ministry launches online booking for slaughterhouses on eve of Eid Al-Adha    Shah Rukh Khan makes Met Gala debut in Sabyasachi    Pakistani star's Bollywood return excites fans and riles far right    Exotic Taif Roses Simulation Performed at Taif Rose Festival    Asian shares mixed Tuesday    Weather Forecast for Tuesday    Saudi Tourism Authority Participates in Arabian Travel Market Exhibition in Dubai    Minister of Industry Announces 50 Investment Opportunities Worth over SAR 96 Billion in Machinery, Equipment Sector    HRH Crown Prince Offers Condolences to Crown Prince of Kuwait on Death of Sheikh Fawaz Salman Abdullah Al-Ali Al-Malek Al-Sabah    HRH Crown Prince Congratulates Santiago Peña on Winning Presidential Election in Paraguay    SDAIA Launches 1st Phase of 'Elevate Program' to Train 1,000 Women on Data, AI    41 Saudi Citizens and 171 Others from Brotherly and Friendly Countries Arrive in Saudi Arabia from Sudan    Saudi Arabia Hosts 1st Meeting of Arab Authorities Controlling Medicines    General Directorate of Narcotics Control Foils Attempt to Smuggle over 5 Million Amphetamine Pills    NAVI Javelins Crowned as Champions of Women's Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO) Competitions    Saudi Karate Team Wins Four Medals in World Youth League Championship    Third Edition of FIFA Forward Program Kicks off in Riyadh    Evacuated from Sudan, 187 Nationals from Several Countries Arrive in Jeddah    SPA Documents Thajjud Prayer at Prophet's Mosque in Madinah    SFDA Recommends to Test Blood Sugar at Home Two or Three Hours after Meals    SFDA Offers Various Recommendations for Safe Food Frying    SFDA Provides Five Tips for Using Home Blood Pressure Monitor    SFDA: Instant Soup Contains Large Amounts of Salt    Mawani: New shipping service to connect Jubail Commercial Port to 11 global ports    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Delivers Speech to Pilgrims, Citizens, Residents and Muslims around the World    Sheikh Al-Issa in Arafah's Sermon: Allaah Blessed You by Making It Easy for You to Carry out This Obligation. Thus, Ensure Following the Guidance of Your Prophet    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques addresses citizens and all Muslims on the occasion of the Holy month of Ramadan    







Thank you for reporting!
This image will be automatically disabled when it gets reported by several people.



Gazprom: Russia, Ukraine "nowhere near" deal ahead of gas cutoff
Published in Saudi Press Agency on 24 - 12 - 2008


Russian gas export monopoly Gazprom and
Ukraine's Naftogaz have made no progress on an agreement over two
billion dollars in non-payments for imports by Kiev ahead of a New
Year's deadline for gas cuts, a spokesman for Gazprom said Wednesday, according to dpa.
Ukrainian officials arrived in Moscow for another round of talks on
Wednesday amid the standoff, which has sparked fears among European
consumers of supply shortages.
Russian gas export monopoly Gazprom supplies about one quarter of
the European Union's gas needs, 80 per cent of which is shipped
through Ukraine.
In a similar dispute in 2006, Russia blamed Kiev for siphoning off
gas to European customers - sparking fuel shortages and a price spike
as far as Paris.
Gazprom threatened last week to cut gas supplies to the former
Soviet state on January 1 if the debt remains unsettled.
Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko said Wednesday that Kiev and
Mosocw had agreed to delay the debt settlement until early next year.
He added that Ukraine could perhaps give back the gas it cannot
afford.
But Gazprom spokesman Sergei Kupriyanov denied that an accord had
been reached.
"So the question is far nowhere near being settled, as Kiev
declared," Kupriyanov was quoted by news agency Interfax as saying.
"Under the contract, Ukraine's Naftogaz must pay for all received gas
by the end of the month's consumption.
"Gas for November is unpaid. Payment for December, we have also not
seen. And the Ukrainian side has yet to propose any real way out of
the problem," he said.
Gazprom alerted clients and European Union member-states of
possible disruptions to supplies in a letter of warning on Monday.
Yushchenko pledged Wednesday that Ukraine could guarantee continued
deliveries of Russian gas to the West.
Naftogaz in turn pledged its gas reserves would be enough to last
through the winter.
Gazprom claims Ukraine has paid only 800 million in arrears of its
total debt, and analysts say the country's crushing economic problems
makes reimbursing of more of the debt difficult.
Ukraine has begged a 16.4 billion dollars loan from the International
Monetary Fund, but conditions applied to the money means it cannot
directly be used pay for Russian gas arrears.


Clic here to read the story from its source.