The conflict between Russia's Gazprom and Ukraine's Naftogaz over the latter's $7 billion natural gas debt will not harm the Russian-Ukrainian "dialogue on cooperation in the energy industry," the Russian ambassador in Kyiv said on Wednesday, Feb.27.
“Gazprom’s conduct is absolutely legal and cannot impede further dialogue on cooperation in the energy industry,” Mikhail Zurabov told reporters in Kyiv.
He said the two countries had been maintaining regular contacts at various levels since the start of this year, and that his proved his point.
Gazprom had furnished Naftogaz with a $7 billion bill for importing less gas in 2012 than it was to under a take-or-pay contractual commitment.
Naftogaz responded that it had paid all the previous bills from Gazprom and that it had repeatedly notified the Russian company that it planned to reduce its imports in 2012.
On February 22, Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych said in a live television program that Ukraine refused to pay the $7 billion bill.
