Kiev has been holding its ground in gas negotiations with Russia and is trying to avoid scenarios that could be negative for Ukraine, Foreign Minister Vadym Prystaiko said on Monday
KIEV (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 23rd December, 2019) Kiev has been holding its ground in gas negotiations with Russia and is trying to avoid scenarios that could be negative for Ukraine, Foreign Minister Vadym Prystaiko said on Monday.On Friday, Russian gas giant Gazprom said that Moscow and Kiev had signed an agreement protocol on continuing gas transit and settling disputes during the negotiations in Minsk.
"We are holding ground, we are conducting these negotiations, as we promised, in the framework of trilateral cooperation. This part of our gas activity proves that Ukraine is a reliable supplier of Russian gas to the European market. Russia is looking for other delivery options, we understand it perfectly, and we are watching the 'streams.' We are actively trying to avoid certain negative scenarios. We defend our interests," Prystaiko said in an interview with the Ukrinform news agency.
According to Prystaiko, Naftogaz's consent to withdraw claims against Gazprom is an issue that could have any outcome for Ukraine, but Gazprom's consent to pay almost $3 billion to settle previous disputes is definitely a win for Kiev.
"Now, we have $3 billion in our hands, a very serious amount, which we have won in an honest legal dispute. This is really a big victory," the minister said.
Gazprom's representative said on Saturday that the company would pay Naftogaz $2.9 billion as ruled by the Stockholm arbitration court.
