Russia and Ukraine aim to sign an agreement on Monday to restart gas flows to Europe through Ukraine after finally agreeing a price for 2009 supplies.
The two former Soviet neighbors, whose pricing dispute left parts of southeast Europe without gas in the middle of winter, said on Sunday they had agreed an outline deal that would quickly restore supplies.
Negotiators were working on a detailed agreement ahead of Monday”s planned signing ceremony.
“Gas transit, the Ukrainian side assured us, will be restored very soon,” Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said after talks to end the dispute, which began on January 1.
A spokeswoman for Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko said she would fly back to Moscow on Monday for a signing if the respective gas companies, Russia”s Gazprom and Naftogaz of Ukraine, had finalized details of the deal by then.
The failure of Moscow and Kiev to agree a price for Russian gas has enraged the European Union and has hurt Russia”s and Ukraine”s credibility as gas supplier and transit route.
Czech Industry Minister Martin Riman, speaking for the EU, said: “We remain realistic. Over the past few days we have seen several similarly hopeful moments. The only thing that counts for the EU is the resumption of gas supplies. For the time being it is not clear when this resumption takes place.”
The United States urged Gazprom to restart gas flows “immediately” in a statement by its embassy in Kiev.
