President insists on solution of gas problem

The development of the situation with gas supplies to Ukraine obliges me just another time to draw Your attention to insufficient and inadequate actions of the Government on implementation of the agreements between Presidents of Ukraine and of Russian Federation of February 12, 2008 reached in Moscow and which the Government had been informed on by appropriate directives.
As for today the Russian side has substantially decreased supplies of gas to Ukraine. There have been no agreements made on guaranteeing gas balance for 2008, nor appropriate contract basis has been prepared. Amounts of payments for gas are critically low. At the same time OJSC Gazprom has not been paying for Russian gas transit to Europe.

The situation raises deep concerns of the European Commission.

The only practicable way [to solve the problem] is immediate continuation of the talks.

I request You to urgently provide NJSC Naftogaz of Ukraine with the directives, which reflect provisions of the directives issued by the President of Ukraine with regard to the results of the recent talks.

Truly yours

Victor Yushchenko."