Updated on 06:49 p.m. Moscow Time
KIEV, September 3 (RIA Novosti) – Ukraine wants to agree on a “fair” gas price with Russia by the end of the year, either by negotiations or through international legal proceedings, the country’s government said in its National Renewal plan published on the Cabinet of Ministers’ website Wednesday.
“Use the three-party talks with Russia and the European Union, as well as international arbitration mechanisms in order to reach an agreement with Gazprom about the basis of a transparent and far real market price for gas supplies and transit,” according to the plan’s presentation on the government website.
Within six months, Ukraine plans to sign new agreements with the European Union on the transit of Russian gas and move the EU gas receiving point to the eastern border of Ukraine.
Ukraine has offered Moscow to set the gas prices at $300 per 1,000 cubic meters during the low season and $380 during the winter season, or tie the gas prices to the spot market in Europe.
Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk said Wednesday that Ukraine does not need a discount on gas, but would not pay Russia $500 per 1,000 cubic meters.
Three-party consultations between Russia, Ukraine and the European Union on gas issues have been going on since April, but have not yielded any significant results.
On June 16, after several unsuccessful rounds of talks, Russian gas company Gazprom was forced to implement a prepayment scheme for gas supplies to Ukraine over its accumulated debt.
As of today, Kiev’s gas debt to Russia is estimated to stand at over $5.3 billion.
