A transit agreement between Naftogaz and Gazprom will be prolonged after 2019, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko said on Tuesday.
"I believe that the transit agreement between Naftogaz and Gazprom will continue after 2019. Because there is no alternative to it," Poroshenko was quoted by TASS as saying.
The contract for the transit of Russian gas through Ukraine was signed in 2009 for 10 years.
On June 26, Gazprom CEO Alexey Miller said Gazprom will never agree to extend its contract with Naftogaz of Ukraine on unacceptable terms.
"Ukraine insists on including changes connected with the transit rate in the 2009 contract, which was reasonable and elaborate. Naftogaz of Ukraine insists that the transit rate is increased to $5 for 1,000 cubic meters of gas per 100 km," he said.
"We will never sign a contract on unacceptable terms," he noted. "We still have 4.5 years; we will hold negotiations with our Ukrainian partners before the contract expires," Miller said.
