"If we move
vigorously along the path of reforms, if we introduce actively energy efficient
measures, we are capable within following five years to become an energy
independent country and rely exclusively on our domestic resource of natural
gas," stressed Prime Minister of Ukraine Arseniy Yatsenyuk on Tuesday,
February 16, at the Parliament during the Government's report on its activities
for 2015.
"For the
first time in history of Ukrainian independence we have not bought a single
cubic meter of gas from the Russian Federation this winter", he said.
The Prime Minister
stressed that currently the storage facilities contain over 10 billion cubic
meters of gas: "This is by 2 billion cubic meters of gas more than last
year."
The launch of the Government's
energy efficiency programme, he said, enabled to reduce the
consumption of natural gas by 20%: "It's by 20% less money that
would have been transferred to the accounts of the Russian ‘Gazprom’, the
money that ‘Gazprom’ together with the Kremlin regime directs to buy tanks,
aircrafts and tofinance their army".
In the energy
sector the Government was able to "get rid of middleman, gas
oligarchs and various shadow schemes that existed in the Ukrainian gas and
energy sector".
"Now the
Ukrainian company ‘Naftogaz’ purchases natural gas exceptionally
under transparent and open contracts from the European Union member states, from six
largest European companies", he accentuated.
"The price at
which we buy [gas –ed.] in Europe, is lower than that
offered by the Russian ‘Gazprom", said Arseniy Yatsenyuk.
The Prime Minister
stressed that the Ukrainian side had filed a lawsuit against the Russian ‘Gazprom’concerning
two gas contracts in the Stockholm arbitration court. In the first case in
respect of the contract of saleand purchse Ukraine claims USD 14.5
billion. In the second – regarding the transit contract, Ukraine claims
USD8.2 billion.
"I believe
by the end of year, the dispute in the Stockholm arbitration
court will be resolved in our favor.As our position is
correct", he said.
Moreover, the
Prime Minister reminded that rates of rent for the extraction of
natural gas had changed.
"We have
managed to preserve a high rate for the so-called joint
activities, as it's a dark and falsifiedscheme. And we
once again call on those who obtained licenses illegally to realize that there
won’t be another way. The rate of 70% was fixed and it won’t change. Only
transparent contracts and only open agreements on distribution of
products", summed up the Prime Minister.
No comments:
Post a Comment