MOSCOW - Self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic (DPR) People's Council Speaker Andrei Purgin has responded positively to a statement by Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko concerning Donbas coal.
“We have always said we are ready to sit down with Kyiv and negotiate
economic matters. War is war, politics is politics, and market is market. We are
prepared to ponder economic contacts with Kyiv. Today’s statement by Poroshenko
is the first step towards economic collaboration between Kyiv and Donetsk,” the
Donetsk news agency quoted Purgin as saying.
“It is much too early to speak about coal trade between Kyiv and Donetsk.
Lots of issues have yet to be resolved,” he remarked.
Poroshenko said at a press conference in Kyiv on Dec. 29, “The only cargo
[that may be supplied] is coal from state-owned mines which should ship the coal
to Ukrainian electric power plants and the spending of money [paid for the coal]
exclusively on salaries of Ukrainian citizens – miners working there [in the
army operation zone] should be controlled. We are capable of controlling
that.”
“Other operating enterprises should be re-registered on the territory of
Ukraine, pay taxes on the territory of Ukraine and get their salaries, these are
Ukrainian citizens too,” he said.
Poroshenko added that Ukraine was ready to import from the army operation
zone both the coal which had been mined by now (about 3 million tonnes of coal
are being stored at warehouses) and the coal to be mined in a future period.
