Ukraine will fulfill its obligations on the transit of Russian natural gas to Europe, Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko said after talks with her Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on Thursday.
"We will carefully and thoroughly fulfill our obligations on gas transit," she said after talks in Ukraine's Black Sea resort of Yalta.
Her comments came after Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko, Tymoshenko's rival in upcoming polls in Ukraine, proposed that natural gas contracts be changed as soon as possible to avoid problems with gas supplies to Ukraine and its transit on to Europe. According to Yushchenko, problems could arise as early as in spring.
Under the terms of the current deal, Kiev is obliged to pay in full for contracted gas volumes, irrespective of the amount consumed. Ukraine, in the midst of an economic crisis, has sharply cut consumption this year.
YALTA, November 19 (RIA Novosti)
