Talks about the technical and legal aspects for the reversal of gas from Western Europe to Ukraine are to be continued, Economy Minister Tomáš Malatinský said after a meeting with Ukrainian Energy and Coal Industry Minister Yuri Prodan, European Commission officials and representatives of gas & infrastructure companies in the Slovak-Ukrainian border town Veľké Kapušany (Košice region) on Tuesday.
“The trilateral talks between the European Commission, Slovak and Ukrainian sides are not completed yet. I'd say that now we find ourselves in the mid-phase. Some potential solutions with respect to the reverse flow have been submitted; we're also drafting another alternative. Discussion is still pending. Maybe the Memorandum will be signed in the following days, but not today”, said Malatinský.
Ukraine would prefer to see the existing Slovak pipeline to be used for the reverse gas flow rather than the alternative of building a new pipeline exclusively for the reverse flow.
"The reverse flow of gas supplies to Ukraine from the west and from Slovakia isn't that easy to execute. There are some technical specifications that need to be resolved. There is also a problem in terms of the contract, because this route serves for delivering gas from Gazprom through Ukraine to Europe”, said Malatinský before the start of today's negotiations. "We want and we are ready to help Ukraine, but we have to take into consideration the Slovak and European interests, because that gas flows to Europe”, added Malatinský.
The Ukrainian Energy Minister hasn't specified the amount of gas Ukraine would like to receive from Slovakia following the agreement between all parties involved.
In early April, the Russian gas provider Gazprom introduced two price increases for gas it supplied to Ukraine, which amounts to almost twice the original amount. In response to this, Kiev launched emergency talks with EU neighbours and has asked for help with gas supplies. Ukraine, currently reeling from its intense economic and political crisis, covers half of its gas consumption with Russian supplies. Relations between Moscow and Kiev have frozen significantly since February, once pro-Russian president Viktor Yanukovich was ousted from office by protesters on Kiev’s Maidan (Independence) Square.
