Government to finalize the Energy Strategy of Ukraine before the end of the year

The Government will finalize the Energy strategy of Ukraine before the end of the year that provides measures to achieve energy independence. This was stated by Prime Minister of Ukraine Volodymyr Groysman during the meeting of the Regional Development Council under the chairmanship of the President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko on Tuesday.

"Our energy strategy on which we are working and will complete this work by the end of this year stipulates that we need to consume less energy and to do it more effectively and to increase our own production of energy resources in order for our country was independent. So that to end the one-side contract, which was inked in 2009," Volodymyr Groysman said.

He recalled that under the terms of the contract, Ukraine buys gas at a price of 450 dollars per 1,000 cubic meters of gas according to the principle "take or not you must to pay".

And because of the difference in gas prices today Ukraine has lost $ 53 billion and we have the claim from the Russian Federation in the amount of $ 40 billion. "Russia wants to sue these enormous resources just because that infamous contract was signed in 2009," - said Volodymyr Groysman.

Speaking of priorities specified by the Government in the draft Budget for 2017, the Prime Minister emphasis to creation of the Energy Efficiency Fund as planned. The Government expects that the Fund will receive a resource of UAH 4 billion, which will be fully invested in energy conservation.

"Today we should be not an importer, but an exporter of energy resources and for this we've got a lot to do", - the Head of Government stressed.