21.12.2019 13:22Ukraine’s Naftogaz and Russia’s Gazprom will sign a new five-year agreement on transit of Russian gas to Europe through Ukraine, Energy and Environmental Protection Minister of Ukraine Oleksiy Orzhel has stated.

He said this at a briefing on Saturday, commenting on the results of the talks that took place in Minsk on December 20, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

“Transit for 5 years with the possibility of extension for another 10 years under the conditions provided for the first five years. Volumes that can be further revised or extended for another 10 years. The transit volume will reach 65 billion cubic meters in the first year, and 40 billion cubic meters in the next four years,” Orzhel said.

Ukraine and Russia are expected to sign the contract by the end of 2019. The current deal expires on December 31, 2019.

As reported, Energy and Environmental Protection Minister of Ukraine Oleksiy Orzhel and Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak said after the 5th round of gas transit talks that a final protocol had been elaborated which brought the parties closer to signing the final agreements.

At the talks in Minsk on December 20, representatives of the European Commission, Ukraine and the Russian Federation reached a final agreement on fundamental points of the transit of Russian gas through the territory of Ukraine to European consumers and settlement of mutual claims.

(c)UKRINFORM 2019