Ukraine, Russia to hold talks on new gas agreement in first half of 2010

Ukraine and Russia have agreed to hold talks in the first half of 2010 to prepare and agree a new intergovernmental agreement on cooperation in the gas sector, the Russian Fuel and Energy Ministry’s press service reported. 

This agreement was reached in Moscow on Oct. 9 at a meeting of the subcommittee for the fuel and energy sector of the committee for economic cooperation of the Ukrainian-Russian interstate commission. The meeting was chaired by Ukrainian and Russian Energy Ministers Yuriy Prodan and Sergei Shmatko.

The new intergovernmental accord will be based on a revision of existing intergovernmental agreements, the statement said.

In addition, the meeting participants agreed to boost oil shipments to Ukrainian oil refineries and transit supplies made via Ukraine.