MOSCOW, Dec. 5 (Xinhua) -- Russia's gas giant Gazprom signed a contract on Wednesday with Ukraine on natural gas supplies for 2008, raising the price by about 50 U.S. dollars per 1,000 cubic meters, Russian news agencies reported.
"Contracts for gas supplies to Ukraine in 2008 were signed today," Gazprom CEO Alexei Miller told journalists on Wednesday.
Gazprom announced on Tuesday that Moscow and Kiev had agreed that as of January 1, 2008, the price of gas sold on the Russian-Ukrainian border would be set at 179.5 dollars per 1,000 cubic meters, up from the current 130 dollars, the RIA Novosti news agency reported.
Tuesday's agreement was signed by Miller and Ukrainian Fuel and Energy Minister Yuriy Boiko.
"We have reached agreement on the gas price for Ukraine and on gas transit conditions, which offer additional guarantees of uninterrupted supplies to European consumers and are a logical, mutually beneficial step toward transparent market relations in the gas sphere between Russia and Ukraine," Miller was quoted by the RIA Novosti news agency as saying.
Ukraine's acting prime minister Viktor Yanukovich said, "I will tell you honestly, I am not satisfied with the decision ... Today we received what was an unpredictable result. We understand that there must be a price rise, but not to such an extent."
The acting premier said he would hold a meeting with Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko in the near future, and if necessary with the Russian leadership, and that the Ukrainian government would then reach a decision on whether to hold further talks on the gas price.
Gazprom also said on Tuesday that the parties had agreed that gas transit fees would be set at 1.7 dollars per 1,000 cubic meters per 100 kilometers in 2008 both for Russia and Ukraine.
Kiev earlier said it considered 150-160 dollars per 1,000 cubic meters to be an optimal price.
"Contracts for gas supplies to Ukraine in 2008 were signed today," Gazprom CEO Alexei Miller told journalists on Wednesday.
Gazprom announced on Tuesday that Moscow and Kiev had agreed that as of January 1, 2008, the price of gas sold on the Russian-Ukrainian border would be set at 179.5 dollars per 1,000 cubic meters, up from the current 130 dollars, the RIA Novosti news agency reported.
Tuesday's agreement was signed by Miller and Ukrainian Fuel and Energy Minister Yuriy Boiko.
"We have reached agreement on the gas price for Ukraine and on gas transit conditions, which offer additional guarantees of uninterrupted supplies to European consumers and are a logical, mutually beneficial step toward transparent market relations in the gas sphere between Russia and Ukraine," Miller was quoted by the RIA Novosti news agency as saying.
Ukraine's acting prime minister Viktor Yanukovich said, "I will tell you honestly, I am not satisfied with the decision ... Today we received what was an unpredictable result. We understand that there must be a price rise, but not to such an extent."
The acting premier said he would hold a meeting with Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko in the near future, and if necessary with the Russian leadership, and that the Ukrainian government would then reach a decision on whether to hold further talks on the gas price.
Gazprom also said on Tuesday that the parties had agreed that gas transit fees would be set at 1.7 dollars per 1,000 cubic meters per 100 kilometers in 2008 both for Russia and Ukraine.
Kiev earlier said it considered 150-160 dollars per 1,000 cubic meters to be an optimal price.
