A regular meeting of commissioners of the European Union, Russia and Ukraine on gas will take place on 26 September in Berlin. Before the Russian energy Minister Alexander Novak said that Russia's position on the gas talks remains of the previous first Ukraine should pay its debt for gas. In an interview to the German editions Novak said that currently the Size of Ukraine's debt to Gazprom is $5, 3 billion." We are ready to demand payment of the debt is not in one form but to restructure it. To begin with, the need for Ukraine to pay its debts for November and December - $1 billion 451 million. The size of this part of the debt not negotiable. We would also like to Ukraine has fully repaid the debt for gas supplied in the beginning of the year. We, from our side, would retroactively re-calculate the amount of debt the gas supplied to Ukraine from April, with discounts that We offer - if Ukraine will agree with our proposals in respect of rates, namely about $385 per thousand cubic meters instead of $485 per thousand cubic meters. Thus the total Amount of debt would be reduced by $780 million, " said he. First, the energy Commissioner g?nther Oettinger said that the Commission offers to Kiev and Moscow to sign an interim agreement on the production and delivery of gas, which will be enforced prior to the decision of the Stockholm arbitration in the gas dispute between Ukraine and Russia.

sections: Politics