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Ukraine ready to increase gas transit to Europe: minister
AFP
KIEV
Petroleumworld.com 12 29 06Ukraine announced on Thursday its readiness to increase the transit of Russian gas through its territory in case of possible disruptions in supplies to Europe through Belarus.
"We could increase transit with the volume needed to ensure stable functioning of the economies of our European neighbours," Ukraine's Energy Minister Yury Boyko said in a statement.
Boyko said Ukrainian authorities were "concerned" about a gas pricing crisis between Russia and Belarus, through which about 20 percent of Russian gas exports to Europe transit.
These exports amount to about 5.0 percent of total gas supplies for the European Union.
Russia has threatened to cut off supplies to Belarus on January 1 if Minsk does not agree to an increased price for gas imports in a crisis similar to the one between Russia and Ukraine last year that hit European supplies.
Some 80 percent of Russian gas exports to Europe transit through Ukraine.
AFP 28 1614 GMT 12 06
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