Ukrainian PM pledges to ensure gas transit to EuropeOctober 31, 2014 - 16:58 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseny Yatseniuk, speaking after a gas agreement with Russia was nailed down, said on Friday, Oct 31, Ukraine would guarantee deliveries of gas through its territory to Europe to make sure Moscow had no room for "blackmailing", Reuters reports. Yatseniuk, speaking to Ukrainian energy officials, criticized Russia's South Stream project to transport Russian gas through the Black sea to Europe and added: "Ukraine will guarantee transit. "It (Ukraine) will not give Russia the means of blackmailing Ukraine and Europe with different (gas) flows," he said. Ukraine, Russia and the European Union signed a deal on Thursday that will see Moscow resume vital supplies of gas to its ex-Soviet neighbor over the winter in return for payments funded in part by Kiev's Western creditors. After several failed rounds of talks in recent weeks as conflict rumbles on despite a ceasefire with pro-Russian armed groups in eastern Ukraine, the accord also eases concerns that a new "gas war" could disrupt winter supplies of energy to EU states, notably through pipelines shut down across Ukraine since June. Yatseniuk said on Friday he would talk to the International Monetary Fund later in the day to discuss how to adapt his country's $17-billion stand-by program with the lender following the gas deal. Photo: Frontzmin Top stories Yerevan has dismissed Turkey’s demand to shut down the Armenian nuclear power plant as “inappropriate”. Armenia will loan 2.9 billion drams to Nagorno Karabakh (Artsakh), according to a draft government decision. The Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources of Azerbaijan has “strongly condemned” Armenia’s decision. Kerobyan has said that for the first time in the history of Armenia, the volume of foreign direct investments amounted to about $1 billion. Partner news | Scholz hopes Armenia-Azerbaijan peace treaty will be signed this year German Chancellor Olaf Scholz hopes that a peace treaty between Armenia and Azerbaijan will be signed this year. Ucom equips four bus stops in Ijevan with free Wi-Fi Ucom now provides free Wi-Fi coverage in smart bus stops in four communities of Ijevan. Armenians stage more campaigns against territorial concessions to Azerbaijan Protesters blocked more roads across Armenia on Friday, April 26 in continuing attempts to scuttle territorial concessions to Azerbaijan. Czech-Armenian military cooperation discussed in Yerevan A delegation led by the Director General for the Industrial Cooperation Division of the Ministry of Defence of the Czech Republic visited Armenia. |