After the talks of the “Three” (Ukraine, EU, USA, without the RF) on the import of gas to Ukraine, Minister of Energy and Coal Industry of Ukraine Yu.Prodan signed a memorandum with Slovakia on imports of natural gas by reverse scheme. The volume of the reverse is up to eight billion cubic meters.
Why eight? And not twenty or fifteen cubic meters, about which recently spoke A. Yatsenyuk (obviously, our Prime Minister talked about getting from the west 25 billion cubic meters, then about 20, already having in mind 5 billion cubic meters, on which agreements are signed with Poland and Hungary)? Why not ten cubic meters, about which the Minister spoke? Why not more with the technical possibility of reverse of 30 billion cubic meters, of which, in particular, argue politically minded engineers who were designing the GTS, as well as the current Chairman of the Board of “Naftogaz of Ukraine” A. Kobolev? Most likely we won't hear the answer to these questions in the nearest future, because, taking into consideration all the current circumstances, it can be concluded that only some people may know what Ukraine should expect and what is predestined for us. And to these “some people”, among others, apparently, belong neither A.Yatsenyuk nor many of those who are sincerely seeking loans to save the state machinery at the time when the fate of our country has been already determined by someone.
The signed by "Ukrtransgas" (100% owned by Naftogaz) and Slovak Eustream, Memorandum provides for the construction of a small connection pipe of 400 m of length (worth 21 million Euros), which will allow from autumn on to pump to Ukraine 22 million cubic meters per day (8 billion cubic meters per year) through Voyany-Uzhgorod gas pipeline
http://biz.liga.net/
The technical capability of reverse of gas through Slovakia into the Ukrainian GTS is 30 billion cubic meters per year
http://gazeta.zn.ua/
Of course, the signed on the 28th April 2014 Memorandum between Ukraine and Slovakia is not an agreement or contract, because it only shows the intentions of the parties and may be not fulfilled. But one should not underestimate its importance and prominent role as an argument (together with the agreements with Poland and Hungary) in the gas dispute with the Russian Federation. In particular, regarding the revision of contracts of 2009.
The Slovak gas company Eustream operator and the operator of the Ukrainian gas transportation system (GTS) PJSC “Ukrtransgas” April 28, 2014 in Bratislava signed a Memorandum on reversing gas from Slovakia to Ukraine. In the photo - the Head of “Ukrtranshaz" Igor Lohman and the Director of Tomash Marechek. Photo: Reuters
http://tek.rbc.ua/
The signed Memorandum, without exaggeration, can be considered a breakthrough in Slovak direction. Because for the first time we managed to persuade the Slovak side to cooperate with the government of Ukraine against the interests of the Russian Federation. In this context, I remember how difficult, even impossible it was to achieve this in the negotiations with the leadership of Slovakia in 2008-2009 (the author on behalf of the then Head of our state, was directly involved in the negotiations). At that time the leaders of Slovakia demonstrated, and spoke directly (with trembling hands), about Slovakia's beneficial dependence on the Kremlin. Today the situation has changed — Slovakia together with the whole EU has eventually supported Ukraine. And led them to this the Kremlin's savagery, of which Ukrainian patriots had known long ago.
Of course, transportation of eight billion cubic meters of gas through Slovakia at technically possibility to transport thirty — it is extremely little for Ukraine today (for example, in 2013, we used 50.4 billion cubic meters, of which 28 billion cubic meters were imported, 21 billion cubic meters produced, and the rest was taken out from storage). But as a first step for real going out from under the monopoly dependence on the Russian Federation — this is serious.
The main routes of gas supplies through Ukraine and their power
http://gazeta.zn.ua
On the other hand, the following strange coincidence worries me: excluding Donetsk and Luhansk regions (which together consume up to 10 billion cubic meters of gas), and without the process gas for transit (6 billion cubic meters, about which logically would have to worry the EU), these volumes, up to 8 billion cubic meters through Slovakia, with almost 5 billion cubic meters through Poland and Hungary, this year and in the future is almost enough for the needs of our state, including the important for us metallurgical and chemical industries.
...Somehow I do not want to believe that someone else apart from the Kremlin currently sees Ukraine without the Crimea, and without Donetsk and Luhansk regions.
