Former Minister Says Ukraine Does Not Pay for Gas

Text of report by private Ukrainian Inter TV on 1 February

[Presenter] The security council has discussed gas supplies at its sitting. Former Fuel and Energy Minister Yuriy Boyko has said that Ukraine has been taking gas without permission since 20 December 2007 because no accord on gas supply in 2008 has been prepared yet.

Boyko said that the president [Viktor Yushchenko], following a discussion of the current situation at Naftohaz [Ukrayiny, the national oil and gas company], requested not just revising the budget of the company, but also restoring order in gas supply contracts.

[Boyko, in Ukrainian] It is a fact that Naftohaz Ukrayiny has not paid a single kopeck for gas supplied to this country since 20 December. This means that Ukraine has been living and utility companies have been consuming gas without payments for a month and a half. But this, excuse me, is a problem for the new government.

I think we raised this issue directly today thanks to the fact that we were invited and listened to, despite us being in the opposition now. I believe that issues of energy security are sensitive, and they should be considered by everybody.

Originally published by Inter TV, Kiev, in Russian 1800 1 Feb 08.

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