KIEV (Sputnik) – Ukraine wants to increase its gas imports by 33 percent in comparison with last year’s imports, Ukrainian Deputy Energy Minister Oleksandr Svetelik said Friday.
“According to the project of the balance forecast, we will receive [gas] in the following manner: gas extracted in Ukraine – 19 billion cubic meters and imports – 25.9 billion cubic meters,” Unian news agency cited Svetelik as saying.
Ukraine is currently receiving gas from Russia under a so-called winter package deal, as well as reverse flows from Slovakia, Hungary and Poland.
Energy ministers of Ukraine, Russia and the European Union will meet on Friday to discuss further Russian gas supplies to Ukraine as the winter package expires on March 31. Under the deal, Kiev must pay Moscow in advance for all gas supplies.
