The Vienna talks: a settlement agreement has opened the way to the contract between

In Vienna negotiations between “Gazprom” and “Naftogaz”, which has become a transit agreement. It is reported that the parties signed a settlement agreement to settle arbitration claims. According to experts, this is an important step on the way to a deal on transit.

the Path for the transit open. Russia and Ukraine overcame the last obstacle to sign a new gas deal. The parties signed a settlement agreement, under which Gazprom antitrust removed claim of 7 billion 400 million dollars.

On the agreements already announced on his page in Facebook the Deputy Minister of justice of Ukraine Ivan Hazel: “At the end of this” rat race ” Ukraine and “Gazprom” have signed the settlement agreement in investment arbitration. The details of the transaction I cannot reveal because it is confidential, but it is important that Russia withdraws its demands, and we do not violate his rules are not to conclude agreements in investment arbitration according to which Ukraine should pay to the investor any compensation”.

the Issue of transit of Russian gas to the EU via Ukraine and resolved soon ceased to be a problem, said in an interview with TASS, Russia’s permanent representative to the EU Vladimir Chizhov. He stressed that the result of tripartite consultations between Russia, Ukraine and the EU on gas has become a compromise, where all parties were able to take a step towards each other.

transit Conditions already specified. The minimum volume flow of fuel will amount to 65 billion cubic meters in 2020 and 40 billion cubic meters annually in the period 2021 to 2024. The second key issue, which was on the agenda, the duration of transit. The Ukrainian side wanted to sign a contract for 10 years. We agreed on five years.

“If we talk about the fundamental agreement, it is achieved at the level of senior officials and government representatives, and even, I think, at the leadership level of companies", — says Valery Weisberg, Director of analytical Department IK “Region”.

Significant uncertainty in the negotiation process for transit has made the situation with the “Nord stream — 2”. Delays in the construction of a gas pipeline to Europe, caused by the sanctions Washington greatly complicated the dialogue between Moscow and Kyiv, experts say.

“Maybe it would be easier to coordinate all the details, if there were no sanctions against the “Nord stream — 2”. Expected, I still think that there is a responsibility of the Europeans, which is not spelled out in the Protocol. Most likely, it was the obligation of Germany to deduce from-under actions of the third energy package gas pipeline “Opal” and the pipeline “Nord stream — 2”, — says Igor Yushkov, a leading analyst of the national energy security Fund.

what remains undecided is one question — the supply of Russian gas to Ukraine. According to estimates, Kiev is to purchase a year about 20 billion cubic meters. But, as estimated by experts, now he can afford no more than 10 billion cubic meters. Given the difficult economic situation in the country, fuel will be supplied on a prepaid basis only and not in debt. Whether such conditions Ukraine, is an open question.