MINSK, March 26. /ITAR-TASS/. Russia’s gas giant Gazprom is considering options of redistributing gas transit flows to Western consumers, if it faces problems with transit through Ukraine, says Andrei Kruglov, head of the company’s financial and economic department.
“We are calculating different options, if we face difficulties with transit through Ukraine,” he said on Wednesday. “The Yamal-Europe and North Stream will help compensate for this to a certain extent, if we have such problems with Ukraine.”
“At the moment, there are no problems with transit through Ukraine,” he said, expressing hope that there would be no difficulties in the future. “All transit volumes comply with the contracts signed.”
Ukraine’s gas debt totalled $1.7 billion, Kruglov said, adding that “the contract sets the gas price for Ukraine until 2019.”
Since January 1, 2014, Gazprom has been receiving discounted gas supplies. “We will make public the information whether this discount will be effective beginning from the second quarter of the year or not,” he said.