Belgium: Russia ready to prolong gas contract with Ukraine

W/S Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak arriving for press statement
M/S Journalists
SOT, Alexander Novak, Russian Energy Minister (Russian): "To my point of view, the consultations went really well, in business manner, probably for the first time speaking of our latest treelateral consultations. We have discussed many issues, specific ones, at first related to the gas supply to Ukraine. We believe it is a really important issue to be able to discuss gas transit and the expected volume of it starting from January 1, 2020. We have also discussed the Stockholm Chamber of Commerce arbitration [over gas supply and transit contracts] settlement and the rulings made by the Stockholm court. We have once again stated that it's necessary to reduce our reciprocal claims to nothing and end up with an out-of-court settlement before January 1, 2020, because court hearings and appeals will take much more time."
W/S Novak talking to journalists
SOT, Alexander Novak, Russian Energy Minister (Russian): "Our Ukrainian partners revealed to us the laws which is meant to be implemented before Janyary 1, 2020. We are talking about the European legal system which is nowadays being adopted by the Ukrainian legal system, [which leads to] dividing the Naftogaz, establishing the gas transporting operator as a standalone independent regulator of tariffs, court proceedings. We have taken note of this. We believe if the Ukrainian legal system really adopts the European legal system by January 1, 2020, we are ready to work according to the European legal system. It means we are ready to reserve [gas transmission] capacities starting from January 1, 2020.
C/U Novak
SOT, Alexander Novak, Russian Energy Minister (Russian): "We have offered our partners, in case it would not be done up to January 1, 2020, we will be able to propose to prolong the acting agreement or sign an additional one [to work] before the legal base of Ukraine is ready."
W/S Journalists
SOT, Alexander Novak, Russian Energy Minister (Russian): "I would like to highlight the European consumers will get the supplies in time, according to the contracts. We are ready to use the Ukrainian gas pipelines in case it is economically feasible with accordance to the Ukrainian law."
M/S European Commission
W/S European Commission
SCRIPT
Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak said Moscow is ready to prolong its gas transit agreement with Kiev or to sign a temporary deal to avoid disruptions in gas supply to Europe. He was speaking in Brussels on Thursday after trilateral gas talks between Russia, the European Union and Ukraine.
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