On Friday, Moscow and Kiev signed a protocol of an agreement on continuing gas transit and settling existing disputes during negotiations in Minsk.
“The Ukrainian legislation allows not only Naftogaz but also other Ukrainian companies to purchase Russian gas … The price will be a market one: it means that Ukraine will have a lower price than the country has now, buying our gas via reverse-flow deliveries [from European countries],” Novak said.
The minister also stressed that the volumes of gas transit, fixed in the reached agreement, were the minimum ones and, in fact, the transit may be much higher.
Novak expressed Russia’s readiness to consider possible participation in modernizing the Ukrainian gas transportation system.
“If there are such proposals, we will discuss them,” the minister added.
The Russian-Ukrainian protocol envisages delivering 65 billion cubic meters (over 2 trillion cubic feet) in 2020 and 40 billion cubic meters (1.5 trillion cubic feet) per year thereafter for four more years. In addition, the document stipulates that Gazprom and Naftogaz might consider direct gas supplies to Ukraine at a discounted European hub's price depending on volumes.