KIEV (AFP) — Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko on Thursday rejected part of a gas supply deal with Russia, a day after the end of a three-day cut in supplies that raised concerns in Europe.
The deal would "preserve corrupt schemes and abuses, lead to the bankruptcy of (state gas firm) Naftogaz and contradict national interests," Tymoshenko said in an open letter to Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko released by the government.
Yushchenko and Russian President Vladimir Putin struck an agreement in Moscow on February 12 intended to end a dispute over Ukraine's unpaid debts for Russian gas and to reorganise the gas supply relationship.
The terms of the deal were never made public but Tymoshenko made it clear that she did not agree with Russian demands, prompting Russian state gas monopoly Gazprom to cut supplies by 50 percent over Monday and Tuesday.
Gazprom restored the supplies on Wednesday but the substance of the dispute did not appear to have been resolved. In a joint statement on Wednesday, Gazprom and Naftogaz said negotiations would continue.
Gazprom has demanded that Ukraine settle a debt of 600 million dollars.
"I will fulfil the agreements between the presidents of February 12 as far as the necessity of an urgent normalisation in relations in the gas sphere is concerned," Tymoshenko said in her letter.
But, she added: "The cabinet of ministers cannot agree with several terms of these agreements," such as the gas price for 2008, the use of an intermediary company and moves to limit Naftogaz access to Ukraine's domestic market.
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