National joint-stock company Naftogaz Ukrainy welcomes the plans of OJSC Gazprom to hand its claims against the Ukrainian company over to arbitration, the Ukrainian gas monopoly has said while commenting on the statements of Gazprom CEO Alexei Miller on the new claims against Naftogaz.
“Arbitration is the most civilized way of settling commercial disputes, if the sides fail to find consent via negotiations,” reads the report, citing Naftogaz CEO Andriy Kobolev.
Early on May 29, Miller said that Gazprom will submit claims against Naftogaz Ukrainy in Stockholm to recover $8.197 billion for gas Ukraine is liable to pay under take-or-pay contract provisions in 2014. Miller said Naftogaz’s total debt amounted to $29.477 billion. This includes the debt for gas supplies, penalties for take-or-pay, and also for gas supplies to Donbas. So, for today, Miller said, the debt for gas supplies to Donbas has reached $200 million.
Naftogaz said the sides initiated proceedings in the Arbitration Institute of the Stockholm Chamber of Commerce (SCC) in June 2014. The Ukrainian holding drew up the grounds for its claims and announced its claims on the contract on supply of gas in January 2015. Gazprom has not yet filed counterclaims.
