KIEV, March 23 - A Ukrainian delegation left here Tuesday for gas negotiations with Russia in Moscow, a spokesman for the state energy company Naftogaz said.
The delegation was headed by Fuel and Energy Minister Yuri Boiko and new Naftogaz chief Yevhen Bakulin, the Interfax-Ukraine news agency quoted the Naftogaz spokesman as saying.
Ukraine President Viktor Yanukovych said Monday he hoped a new gas deal could be signed deal with Moscow during the visit of Russian President Dmitry Medvedev in mid-May.
Yanukovych needs to revise a long-term gas deal signed by ex-premier Yulia Tymoshenko and Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin in early 2009, which made Russian gas expensive for Ukraine.
In a new deal, Ukraine will most likely offer Russia a stake in the Ukrainian gas transportation system in exchange for lower natural gas prices.
Russia has consistently tried to get a stake in the Ukrainian gas pipeline network to modernize the system and ensure uninterrupted gas supplies to Europe.
Ukraine sits on a major transit route for oil pumped to Eastern Europe.It also transits about 80 percent of Russian gas shipments to the European Union.
The delegation was headed by Fuel and Energy Minister Yuri Boiko and new Naftogaz chief Yevhen Bakulin, the Interfax-Ukraine news agency quoted the Naftogaz spokesman as saying.
Ukraine President Viktor Yanukovych said Monday he hoped a new gas deal could be signed deal with Moscow during the visit of Russian President Dmitry Medvedev in mid-May.
Yanukovych needs to revise a long-term gas deal signed by ex-premier Yulia Tymoshenko and Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin in early 2009, which made Russian gas expensive for Ukraine.
In a new deal, Ukraine will most likely offer Russia a stake in the Ukrainian gas transportation system in exchange for lower natural gas prices.
Russia has consistently tried to get a stake in the Ukrainian gas pipeline network to modernize the system and ensure uninterrupted gas supplies to Europe.
Ukraine sits on a major transit route for oil pumped to Eastern Europe.It also transits about 80 percent of Russian gas shipments to the European Union.
