We want to play by the rules, not play with them, PM said at Energy Security Summit in Berlin

"A common task of Ukraine and the EU is to preserve a peace and stability, to enhance energy independence of Europe and Ukraine and to have equal rules of game with Russia", the Ukrainian PM stressed at the Energy Security Summit 2014 in Berlin on Wednesday, May 28.

The Prime Minister said that he highly appreciates efforts of the EU and Energy Commissioner Guenther Oettinger as to trilateral talks with Russia on gas issue.

"We are ready to pay bills and arrears. We are ready for a compromise and market approach. And if we have success in these trilateral negotiations, so it will be our common success. If not - we will achieve success in the Stockholm Arbitration Institute," the PM emphasized.

According to Arseniy Yatsenyuk, even if the Ukrainian side pays the gas bill for the first quarter of this year, Russia "will still do its best to turn off gas supplies", "Russia’s goal is not to solve the problem, but to reach the escalation of the situation. We do not believe words - we believe actions. And, since the annexation of the Crimea, I have some doubts that Russia wants a compromise."

The Prime Minister underlined that as to the price of Russian gas Ukraine "does not ask for any discounts, but requires a market-based approach": "What is the reason that Russia doubled the price of gas? Because it does not like the Government? Do not like the pro-Western Ukrainian choice? We are paying a political price."

Arseniy Yatsenyuk also stressed that "Russia has stolen 2.2 billion cubic meters of gas in Crimea, which is Ukrainian property": "It stole Ukrainian platforms that are worth $ 1 billion", it stole “Chornomornaftogas”- tens of billions of dollars."

"We firmly believe that it is our common purpose - to protect ourselves. Otherwise, Russian "Gazprom" will do what it does every time: to divide the EU, offer favorable conditions to some countries, try to get some support from them and punish other countries," he said.

Arseniy Yatsenyuk underlined that Ukraine is a member of the Energy Community and a member of the Energy Charter Treaty: "Together with the EU, we are ready - and it is our common responsibility - to develop a common energy policy and do not allow anyone to use energy as a means of influence, as a new type of weapon. We offered to partners from the EU and the United States of America to jointly operate and modernize the Ukrainian gas transportation system, and we are ready to do so. We are ready to provide Russia access to Ukrainian gas transport system and storage facilities, it's our international obligations under the Energy Charter Treaty and the Energy Community Treaty."

According to him, if the European Union provides a common energy policy, it will make it stronger: "And it will make stronger Ukraine. That’s why, we ratified the Energy Charter Treaty, and entered into the Energy community - we want to play by the rules, not play with them."

"If we act together, we will achieve success," Arseniy Yatsenyuk underlined.