Russia refutes Ukraine claims to have controlling block of shares in the gas and transport consortium

The Russian-Ukrainian gas and transport consortium should be created on an equal basis - the shares of the Russian Gazprom and Ukrainian Nafta-Gaz will make up 50 percent each in the authorized capital, the high-ranking source in the Russian government told RIA Novosti on Tuesday. "This is the initial position, and the sides' understanding is common and single here," he said.

According to the source, transformation in the authorized capital is possible in the future but only in two cases - its increase or attraction of European gas companies. He specified that if European companies are included in the consortium Russia will agree to such a variant when it and Ukraine will make equal concessions in their consortium shares. The parity between Gazprom and Nafto-Gaz of Ukraine will be preserved but the companies should not lose the possibility of controlling the adoption of decisions in the consortium. The interlocutor of RIA Novosti believes that to achieve this it is enough for Russia and Ukraine to jointly possess two-thirds of the consortium's capital.

At the same time, Ukrainian prime minister Anatoly Kinakh declared on Tuesday that Ukraine will insist on receiving the controlling block of shares in the consortium, although it has nothing except a pipeline, which needs to be urgently repaired, the more so gas which it receives from Russia. Commenting on this statement, the high-ranking source in the Russian government pointed out that "this is rhetoric to a certain degree, and the sooner it fades the sooner the possibility will appear for the work of specialists." The source also pointed out that many disputable questions pertaining to the creation of the consortium should be explained by the internal political situation in Ukraine. But such statements of Kiev do not contribute to the creation of consortium.