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 | Narek Manasyan wins European Boxing Championships silver for Armenia Armenia’s Narek Manasyan (92kg) won Armenia’s second silver medal at the European Boxing Championships 2024 on April 28. Blinken urges Azerbaijan to continue negotiations with Armenia Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken has urged Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev to continue negotiations with Armenia. Pashinyan, Blinken talk Armenia-U.S. ties over the phone Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan had a phone conversation with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on April 28, Pashinyan’s office reports. Titus, Bilirakis lead legislation to sanction Azerbaijani war criminals Representatives Dina Titus (D-NV) and Gus Bilirakis (R-FL) have introduced the bipartisan legislation. |