OREANDA-NEWS  Ukraine exported natural gas to Europe for the first time in 15 years. Company of Sergei Tigipko "TAS Energy is the Country" has carried out a test delivery through the station Budina in the direction of Slovakia.

The buyer was the trading company UK METALEX LIMITED, which according to the registers belongs to the businessman Alexander Lichman, according to the consulting Agency EXPRO.

"In addition, we plan to carry out several more tests, including exports from the customs warehouse, "said Maxim Dmitruk, Director of TAS Energy of the Country.

The company is also negotiating with the Polish operator Gaz-System to allow the transit connections in Hermanovice. Also discussed is the possibility of gas exports to Romania, if the local operator of the Transgaz network agrees to create a new connection point, reports "Public".

The publication notes that the Ukrainian operator seeks to introduce short-term supply services for European companies in order to reduce the storage of gas in storage facilities, the capacity of which is the largest in Europe and exceeds 31 billion cubic meters.

If successful, this step will help Ukraine diversify its regional role, becoming not only the main transport route for Russian gas to Europe, but also an importer of volumes from European countries, but also its own exporter.

Fuel export has become attractive for Ukrainian companies since the beginning of 2019 after the reduction of tariffs for transportation through the Ukrainian gas transportation system. The login fee was reduced from $ 12.47 per thousand cubic meters per day to $ 6.28.

Earlier was reported  that the total public debt of Ukraine increased during 2018 by 2.6% to 2168.63 billion hryvnia (about $78 billion). This was reported by the Ministry of Finance of Ukraine.

It is noted that the direct domestic debt increased during 2018 by almost 1.5% to 1860.5 billion hryvnia ($66.92 billion), and the state-guaranteed debt increased slightly (less than 0.1%), to 308.13 billion hryvnia ($11.08 billion). The total amount of direct public debt in November was estimated at $ 65.01 billion.