Dushanbe, September 5 (Interfax) – Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has told Ukrainian partners that he considers the Ukrainian proposal on the gas problem unspecific, Russian President's Press Secretary Natalya Timakova told journalists on Saturday.
"My information is that there was no separate working meeting. At the initiative of the Russian side, Dmitry Medvedev and Viktor Yanukovych have exchanged their views on the sidelines of the summit," she said, when asked about the conversation between the Russian and Ukrainian presidents during the CIS summit in Dushanbe.
"The Russian president has drawn the attention of Ukrainian partners to the fact that the proposals, which were handed over to the Russian government and reported to him, contain no specifics," Timakova said.
"Moscow believes that the current agreement between two countries also fully determines the substantial conditions of the gas cooperation," she said.
"It is subject to unconditional adherence and cannot be reviewed unilaterally. Russia is ready to defend its position on the agreement at any court and will act strictly in accordance with the provisions of this document," the Russian president’s press secretary said.
Russia believes that, "Ukrainian partners must perform the contractual obligations fully and properly, including the delivery price, even in the event of re-organization of the Ukrainian Naftogaz company," Timakova said.
"We consider it unacceptable to manipulate the reorganization procedure for the sake of justifying the unilateral renouncement from the existing agreement. Any domestic decisions by Ukraine must not affect the performance of its international obligations. Otherwise, this may have serious implications for the Ukrainian economy, Timakova said.
"The issues associated with the possible re-organization of Naftogaz Ukrainy were spelt out in an extremely clear and lucid manner in the effective contracts with Gazprom," Gazprom spokesman Sergei Kupriyanov told Interfax.
"Thus, under Clause 9.6 of the gas supply contract and Clause 13.5 of the gas transit contract, in the event of any changes in the form of business ownership, a merger or any other transformation of either party, such party is obligated to duly ensure succession and to transfer the rights and liabilities under the contract to the newly formed structure," the spokesman said.
"It is the strict obligation of the Ukrainian side to ensure succession in any case," Kupriyanov said.
"There is and can be absolutely no reason for reviewing the current agreements in the events of an internal re-organization of Naftogaz Ukrainy. All this is very well known to Ukraine," the Gazprom spokesman said.
The new Ukrainian leadership sees the long-term contract for the Russian gas supply, signed by the previous government, as unfavorable and is trying to change its terms. Even after receiving a $100 discount per 1,000 cubic meters through abolition of the Russian export duty, Ukrainian counterparts continue asking for new discounts. This week, the Ukrainian authorities announced plans to divide Naftogaz Ukraine into separate new companies, which, Ukrainian officials are convinced, will lead to a review of the contractual terms.
