Vice Prime Minister: Ukraine paid every effort to make Russia restart gas shipment and its transit to EU states

The delegation led by Vice Prime Minister of Ukraine Hryhoriy Nemyria took part in a meeting with participants of extraordinary sitting of the EU Ministerial Energy Council held in Brussels.

In his speech the Vice Premier thanked to EU representatives for facilitating in resuming of Ukrainian-Russian dialog concerning restoring of Russian gas transit via the territory of Ukraine to the states-members of the European Union.

Hryhoriy Nemyria stressed in these issues of extreme importance appears keeping provisions of the Memorandum, signed by prime ministers of Ukraine and Russia October 2, 2008, in particular its key provisions on absence of any mediators between the economy subjects of the two states and in terms of gradual transition to the market prices for gas and its transit.

 Vice Prime Minister of Ukraine emphasized that since January 1 of the current year Ukraine hasn’t received a cubic meter of Russian gas for its own needs. Besides, as a result of actions of Russia the transit of Russian gas to the EU states proved impossible.

“From the first day Ukraine was making concrete practical steps to liquidate a crisis situation with gas deliveries, resulted from actions of Russian party,” Hryhoriy Nemyria underlined.

 He reminded that Prime Minister of Ukraine Yulia Tymoshenko suggested in her conversation with President of the European Commission Jose Manual Barroso to send at fastest the monitors from the EU targeting independent control over transition of the Russian gas through the territory of Ukraine. The practical work of international monitoring mission proved possible in the aftermath Ukrainian side and the EU signed a Joint letter on intentions to launch such mission on January 8.

On January 11 Ukrainian, Russian parties and the EU inked a respective Protocol on control over transit of Russian gas through the territory of Ukraine.

“Consequently, Ukraine paid every effort to make Russia resume deliveries of gas and its transit to the EU states from tomorrow,” Hryhoriy Nemyria stressed.

He added a non-solved issue remains shipment of Russian gas for Ukraine’s needs.