OREANDA-NEWS. December 06, 2007. The price of 179,5 USD for 1,000 cubic meters of gas is expedient and comfortable for the Ukrainian economy, Ukrainian Fuel and Energy Minister Yuriy Boyko told journalists, reported the Official website http://www.kmu.gov.ua.

He confirmed the fact of the rise of the gas transit fee from 1,6 USD to 1,7 USD for the transit of 1,000 cu. m. per 100 km, having noted that it is a boundary cost. "The fee can be raised more but the cost of the transit of Russian gas via Ukraine is tied with the transit fee of Central Asian gas to Ukraine. If the parity is broken, it will influence the final price," he said.

The minister rejected commenting on the dynamics of the price for domestic gas, stressing "Ukraine will strictly follow market trends in the issues of protection of the national economy."
Boyko denied opinion that the price rise will influence some industries, in particular, the chemical industry. "As far as I know, the statistical data prove that the chemical branch during ten months showed 20% profits," he noted.