Russia, Ukraine Reach Agreement On March Gas Supplies

Russia and Ukraine reached an agreement on Monday on the supply of natural gas for March, EU energy chief Maros Sefcovic said.



"I am satisfied that we managed to safeguard the full application of the winter package for the supply needs in Ukraine," Sefcovic said after mediating emergency talks between Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak and his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Demchyshyn.



According to the agreement, Ukraine's Naftogaz will pre-pay and order sufficient quantities of gas to ensure all domestic consumption for March and guarantee undisrupted supplies to the EU. Gazprom commits to supply a set quantity of natural gas each day at agreed on delivery points.



Novak stressed that Ukraine will not be obliged to pay for the gas supplied to the conflict zones in eastern Ukraine. He added that the new terms for the gas trade between Russia and Ukraine will be negotiated at the end of March.



The energy ministers will start talks on deliveries beyond March before the end of the month. These negotiations will be difficult as the two ministers have not reached agreement on the price of gas beyond March, nor on whether Ukraine's large gas storage facilities will be refilled during the summer.



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