President: Ukrainian-Russian gas trade agreements should be renegotiated

President Viktor Yushchenko took part in a talk show at Sumy Regional State TV, president's press office reported.

During the program the President made comments on the budgetary process, Ukrainian-Russian relations in energy sector, the need for constitutional reform, Government’s efforts to fight the epidemic of flu and explained his reasons for vetoing the law that provided for the allocation of 1 billion UAH for the cause at the expense of National Bank profits.

Speaking about Ukrainian-Russian gas agreements, Yushchenko stressed that they should be based on market principles and that these principles should be introduced simultaneously and symmetrically.

The President expressed belief that if fair market formulas were used during calculation of gas prices and transit tariffs, the price of gas for Ukraine would be $137-147 per thousand cubic meters, and the market rate of transit tariff would provide NJSC Naftogaz of Ukraine with additional $4-5 billion.

"We do not need loans, which the Prime Minister negotiates today with Washington and Russian companies; what we need is normal market conditions, which our neighbors have. We have a market price for gas, but we do not have market price for our transit", he said

The President made an assumption that these agreements had been concluded to bring Naftogaz Ukraine "to bankruptcy with the subsequent withdrawal of national GTS out of control of Ukraine”. "Monopolizing the asset was key political agreement made by the Prime Minister", the President said.

Viktor Yushchenko stressed that the gas agreements with Russia, of course, expect radical revision. "We can outlast the next few months coming months, but it is only a chance to prepare to continue the negotiations”, Yushchenko said.