Gazprom, Naftogaz to start new round of talks on joint venture
MOSCOW – Russia's Gazprom and Ukraine's Naftogaz will begin a new round of talks on creating a joint venture, the Russian gas firm said Friday.
At a meeting in Moscow, Gazprom Chief Executive Alexei Miller and Ukraine's Energy Minister Yuri Boiko discussed "development of the strategic partnership between the two companies and opening a new round of talks on creating a joint venture," Gazprom said in a statement.
In April, Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin proposed the idea of merging Gazprom and Naftogaz, angering critics in Ukraine who said the move would amount to a takeover of Naftogaz by the much larger Gazprom.
The two companies have quarreled in recent years over gas transit to Europe. Gazprom is a major gas supplier to Europe, of which most is shipped through Ukraine.
Moscow and Kiev have moved forward with a flurry of deals since
Ukraine's new, Kremlin-friendly President Viktor Yanukovich was
inaugurated in February, replacing the staunchly pro-Western Viktor
Yushchenko.
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