OREANDA-NEWS. January 20, 2009. Ukraine’s obtaining of a 20 percent discount for the price of Russian gas in 2009 will allow the country to save USD 5bn. Prime Minister of Ukraine Yulia Tymoshenko told briefing after the signing ceremony of gas contracts between Ukraine and Russia.

According to Yulia Tymoshenko, saving such big sum will allow the domestic industry and sector of economy to be more confident in its competitiveness in foreign markets.

The Ukrainian Prime Minister predicts that transferring to the market gas price in 2010 won’t be difficult in connection with the landslide of global oil price, “Transfer from special reduced gas prices for Ukraine to market prices, to my mind, will be smooth”.

Yulia Tymoshenko has informed that in the first quarter this price will be high and in the second and third it will be radically reduced. “On average this price for Ukraine will be absolutely normal this year. About USD 235 per one thousand cubic meters”.