MOSCOW, Dec 25: Russia is ready to ensure gas deliveries under long-term contracts to the European Union even in absence of a new agreement on gas transit with Ukraine by December 2019, Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak said. “Under any circumstances we guarantee the deliveries of Russian gas under long-term contracts signed by Gazprom. In this sense European consumers will be provided with the needed volumes [of gas],” Novak said answering a question of Russia’s Kommersant newspaper regarding Russia’s plans on further gas deliveries to Europe in absence of a new contract on gas transit with Ukraine by December 2019.
The Russian energy minister stressed that a constructive dialogue with Ukraine was hampered by the legal dispute between Ukraine’s Naftogaz energy company and Russia’s Gazprom energy giant over the deliveries and transit of the Russian gas.
(AGENCIES)