“Gas transit through Ukraine will be resumed immediately, once the Multilateral Monitoring Commission starts working in Russia and Ukraine.

The Commission’s objective is to monitor unhindered transit of Russian gas to European consumers across Ukraine. This proposal made by Angela Merkel, German Chancellor and Mirek Topolanek, Prime Minister of Czech Republic presiding over the EU has been accepted by the Russian party at all levels.

The Russian party understands that the Commission will include representatives of the EU, international monitoring organization, Gazprom, Naftogaz Ukrainy and European consumers of the Russian gas. Thus, everybody will know everything.

We have an absolutely open and transparent position, which was supported in the EU as well, according to the information obtained, in particular, as a result of the telephone conversation of Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin and Mirek Topolanek.

At the same time, Ukraine strongly opposes including representatives of Gazprom and the proposed composition of the Multilateral Monitoring Commission in general. There is a question why? Do they have something to hide? That is what every party interested in the resolution of the conflict initiated by Ukraine should think about.

Gazprom is ready to welcome to Russia every party, including representatives of Naftogaz Ukrainy. The problem of Russian gas transit through Ukraine is to be settled at once. We call for Naftogaz Ukrainy and the Ukrainian energy authorities to stop ticking over and finally get down to business,” Sergey Kupriyanov, the official spokesman of Gazprom told reporters.