Russian President Vladimir Putin assured his Ukrainian
counterpart Viktor Yushchenko here on Friday that Russia would be
Ukraine's reliable energy supplier, presenting a welcome break from
the strained relationship between the two countries in the recent
past.
After talks with Yushchenko, Putin told a joint news conference
that Russia and Ukraine will build their relations on the basis of
pragmatism, equal rights, good neighborly ties and friendship.
Putin's Friday visit to Kiev is his first since Ukraine's
pro-Russian Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych came to power in
August. Yanukovych had promised to improve Ukraine's strained
relations with Moscow, which had been troubled by President
Yushchenko's looking-westward policies.
Putin said that both Russia and Ukraine understand the practical
advantage and strategic importance of joint action, and hope to
continue their cooperation in energy, aviation, transportation and
military sectors.
Putin's meeting with Yushchenko stood in sharp contrast against
the two countries' relations a year ago when Moscow cut off gas
supplies to Ukraine for four days over a dispute regarding gas
prices. The shutdown worried western European countries.
In October, both sides agreed to a gas price widely seen as a
gift to Yanukovych's pro-Russian government -- US$130 per 1,000
cubic meters. Although Kiev pays US$95 per 1,000 cubic meters at
present, Russia is demanding US$170 per 1,000 cubic meters from
Moldova and 235 from Georgia in 2007.
"We are ready to cooperate with Ukraine on the basis of market
principles and ready to look at the possibility of additional gas
supplied if needed," said Putin.
Ukraine consumes about 80 billion cubic meters of gas each year,
most of which is imported from Russia. Russia transfers 112 billion
cubic meters of gas to other European countries each year through
pipelines crossing Ukraine. In recent years, the two countries had
been in dispute over gas prices and Russia's payments to Ukraine
for using its pipelines.
(Xinhua News Agency December 23, 2006)
