MOSCOW, Jan. 12 (UPI) -- Russian natural gas company Gazprom has a contract with Ukraine that outlines a solid future working relationship, the Russian president said.
Ukraine is pressing Moscow for a better deal on natural gas. A deal brokered in 2009 links the price of natural gas imported from Russia to oil prices, creating problems for a Ukrainian economy already battered by the economic recession gripping world markets.
Nevertheless, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said Kiev was obliged under that contract to pay for a certain volume of natural gas regardless of what it actually uses.
"In case of non-use, the conditions are (that) you must pay for unused gas," he was quoted by state-run news agency RIA Novosti as saying.
He added, however, that Gazprom has a solid contractual basis to work with its partners in Ukraine on future gas cooperation.
Kiev had said it was looking to decrease the amount of gas it imports from Russia, though a recent draft of the national budget included figures tied to the 2009 deal with Gazprom. The state-run news agency reported Gazprom stock took a hit on the Moscow stock exchange because investors were concerned over the relationship with Kiev.
