OREANDA-NEWS. January 16, 2009. OAO Gazprom received an offer from NAK Naftogaz Ukrainy United Dispatching Center (ODU) to arrange transit of 99.2 million cubic meters of gas per day across the territory of Ukraine with shipment via Sudja gas metering station. Daily distribution of the natural gas amounts at the exit from the Ukrainian gas transmission system was proposed by the Ukrainian party as follows: 28 million cubic meters via Orlovka gas metering station, 57.3 million cubic meters via Uzhgorod gas metering station, with another 13.9 million cubic meters destined for the customers in Moldova.

OAO Gazprom approved this proposal from ODU center and at 2.00 a note was sent with the request to arrange the Russian gas transit to Europe via the territory of Ukraine.

Nevertheless, NAK Naftogaz Ukrainy revoked its own offer transmitted to us just several hours prior to that. The pretext was the same as earlier, i. e. absence of the Technical agreement on conditions of the gas delivery and acceptance at crossborder gas metering stations in 2009. In fact, the absence of such Technical agreement cannot be a hindrance to resume the gas transit via the Ukrainian territory – given good will on the part of Ukraine.

At the same time, the Russian monitors were kept out of the previously agreed points of monitoring - Ukrainian underground gas storage facilities and the ODU center. By this the Ukrainian party, in a most fragrant manner, continues to break the current gas transit contract as well as Terms of reference for the monitoring of the transit of natural gas signed in Brussels by the European Commission, Russia and Ukraine. Again, it was made obvious to the whole world that the main handicap for restoration of the Russian gas transit to Europe lies in the lack of Ukraine’s political will, and not in some technological reasons as claimed by the Ukrainian party.

In a situation of Ukrainian blockade, which keeps European countries being deprived of gas, such irresponsible actions of Ukraine are shocking.

With this in mind OAO Gazprom once again demands that NAK Naftogaz Ukrainy should stop finding acquittals for its reluctance to restore the gas transit to Europe and should open shut-off valves at its territory to accept the Russian gas into the Ukrainian gas transmission system for its transit to the European customers.

In the meantime Russia keeps gas valves open at Sudja gas metering station at the entry point to the Ukrainian gas transmission system for the fourth day running, gas pressure is operational which makes it possible to resume gas supplies to European customers at any moment.