ZCZC
BCN-08
RUSSIA-UKRAIN-BUDGET
Gas contract with Russia to ensure stability of income to Ukrainian budget
– opposition
KIEV, Dec 22, 2019 (BSS/TASS) – The agreement reached by Ukraine and Russia
on gas transit will help keep jobs, while the national budget will receive
income, leader of the Ukrainian Opposition Platform – For Life party Yuri
Boyko said at the Verkhovna Rada (parliament) on Saturday.
“I didn’t have a sliver of doubt that the contract would be signed. Thank
God it happened after the deadlock that relations [between Ukraine and
Russia] were driven into, particularly in the gas sphere. Any compromise is
good and the fact that the transit contract is agreed is undeniably a
victory. Primarily, for our country because it is our national gas
transmission system and also that our people will get jobs and the budget
will receive income,” Boyko underlined.
He suggested, “It would be a compromise contract but it is impossible to
find a way out of this gridlock without compromise.” “We just need to be
honest with people that compromise is necessary, that this contract is vital
and must be signed,” he added.
According to the politician, all parties are interested in signing the
contract. “Europe and Russia are interested in it. And we are too, naturally,
as a country that is paid $3 billion every year for transmitting Russian gas.
Moreover, we are keeping around 50,000 jobs and technical security of the gas
pipeline,” the member of parliament pointed out.
Boyko voiced hope that a contract on direct gas supplies will be signed
following the transit one. “If we manage to purchase it on Ukraine’s eastern
border without overpaying for the gas to be transmitted across our country
and returned to us through European countries, then the price will be
reduced,” Boyko stressed.
On Saturday, reports emerged that Ukraine and Russia are expected to sign a
new fiver-year gas transit contract before December 29. Minimal transmission
amount will be 65 billion cubic meters in 2020, while 40 billion cubic meters
will be transmitted in 2021-2024 annually.
BSS/TASS/HR/1500