Ukrainian PM Claims Progress on 'Bilateral Issues' With Russia

Ukraine's leader Mykola Azarov says "a certain understanding" was reached at yesterday's meeting with his Russian counterpart in Moscow.

Azarov said the issues between the two countries were "multi-faceted".

 "This is not only gas, but also pipes, issues related to the collection of utilization and a number of other issues. Yesterday we reached a certain understanding," Mykola Azarov said in a government statement.

Ukraine has depended heavily on gas imports from Russia, but has long wanted to revise a 2009 gas deal with Gazprom, the Russian state gas company.

Before the talks, Voice of Russia radio said Medvedev would also ask Azarov to clarify his stand on Ukraine’s attitude towards joining the Customs Union that unites Russia, Belarus, and Kazakhstan.

On November 21st a Ukrainian deputy prime minister said such a move would be unlawful.

In another move, Kiev's Energy Minister was quoted as saying Ukraine would buy 26 billion cubic meters (bcm) of natural gas from Russia this year. 

Natural gas imports will decline in 2013 while Ukrainian coal mines will produce 85 million metric tons of coal this year, government newspaper Uryadovyi Kurier quoted the minister, Yuri Boyko.

See also: Ukraine to Transport Gas Through Hungary