No resolution in Ukraine-Russia gas dispute: Gazprom

0 Comments | AFP, March, 2008

MOSCOW (AFP) — Russia and Ukraine have not managed to resolve their gas payment conflict, a spokesman for Russian gas giant Gazprom said on Sunday, as a deadline approached after which Moscow has threatened supply cuts.

"There has been no agreement yet. We expect to reduce supplies. We are keeping up contacts," Sergei Kupriyanov told AFP.

On Friday Gazprom said it would reduce supplies to the ex-Soviet neighbour by 25 percent at 10:00 am Moscow time (0700 GMT) on Monday if their dispute was not settled.

The dispute is over 1.9 billion cubic metres of gas deliveries worth around 600 million dollars (395 million euros) that Ukraine has not paid, Kupriyanov said on Friday.

The dispute has persisted despite an announcement on February 12 by the two...