The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine has established a commission to investigate the circumstances of the signing of gas agreements between Naftogaz Ukrainy and Gazprom regarding evidence of treason in the sphere of Ukraine's economic security.
A total of 256 deputies out of the 416 registered in the parliament’s session hall voted for a respective resolution. Regions Party faction member Inna Bohoslovska was elected head of the commission. People’s Party MP Yuriy Lytvyn was elected as the deputy chairman of the commission.
The commission also includes Regions Party members Ihor Zvarych, Oleh Nadosha, Volodymyr Oliynyk, Communist Party member Alla Aleksandrovska, Our Ukraine-People’s Self-Defense faction member Anatoliy Matviyenko, and Reform for the Future group member Oleksandr Bobyliov.
The parliament decided that the commission would act for a year after the decision on its creation. The commission is to deliver a report at a plenary session of the Verkhovna Rada no later than three months after its creation.
Under its resolution, the parliament ordered the commission to investigate the circumstances of the $198 million debt owed by the United Energy Systems of Ukraine to the Russian Defense Ministry, the $84 million debt to Gazprom and the provision of government guarantees on the debt’s repayment. The commission was also ordered to investigate the circumstances of the holding of talks, agreeing conditions and signing a contract for the sale of natural gas in 2009-2010 and a contract for the transit of natural gas through Ukraine between Naftogaz Ukrainy and Gazprom dated January 19, 2009 regarding evidence of treason in the actions of former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko.
As reported, a respective draft resolution was registered in the Verkhovna Rada on Wednesday. The author of the draft resolution is Regions Party faction member Inna Bohoslovska.
On March 11, Ukrainian Prime Minister Mykola Azarov said that his predecessor Yulia Tymoshenko was personally interested in signing disadvantageous gas supply contracts with Russia. He also said that Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin had told him that Tymoshenko was ready to extend the stationing of the Russian Black Sea Fleet in Crimea for 50 years.
