KIEV, October 29 (RIA Novosti) – The current Ukrainian president's Petro Poroshenko Bloc has suggested as part of its coalition agreement the implementation of new rules on gas deliveries to the country so that starting from 2018 no one country will be allowed to supply more than 30 percent of the country's gas needs.
"Starting from 2018, there will be an introduction to the current norms so that not a single foreign country or company may be the source for delivering more than 30 percent of the volume of Ukraine's annual gas consumption," the Petro Poroshenko Bloc said in the draft agreement available on its website.
According to the document, the measure is aimed at encouraging competition between gas suppliers and reducing the monopolization of the Ukrainian gas market.
The move comes at a time when Ukraine is trying to reduce its energy dependence on Russia, which has been the country's principal gas supplier since the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991. In 2014, Russian gas made up about 60 percent of Ukraine's overall gas imports. In September, President Poroshenko said the country would reduce the share of Russian gas to 30 percent.
When Russia cut off gas deliveries to Ukraine over its massive gas debt in June, Kiev was forced to resort to reverse-flow supplies of Russian gas from Eastern European countries. In September, Slovakia, Poland and Hungary supplied Russian gas to Ukraine.
Last week, Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak said Russia doubts the legality of reverse gas supplies.
