(MENAFN) Ukrainian Energy and Coal Industry Minister, Eduard Stavytsky, stated that during the current year, his country will restart buying natural gas from Turkmenistan, reported Xinhua News.
Stavytsky said that the aim of the move is to reduce Ukraine's reliance on gas supplies from Russia, as they are expensive, however, Moscow says that the move breaches the two countries energy agreement inked in 2009.
Under the deal, Kiev consented to import 52 billion cubic meters of Russian gas per year or pay for at least 80 percent of that volume, in spite of the actual amount taken.
In 2012, the country bought 24.9 billion cubic meters of Russian gas, with the latter demanding Kiev in January 2013 to pay USD7 billion as it failed to purchase the contracted amount of gas.
It is worth noting that Ukraine will import around 10 billion cubic meters of gas from Turkmenistan during the current year.
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