Slovakia expects to open reverse gas supply to Ukraine in August

The Slovak gas transmission system operator Eustream expects to begin actual reverse gas supplies to Ukraine in August 2014.

"We believe that the reverse gas deliveries will begin in August 2014," – representatives of the Eustream company said.

It was reported that on April 28, Ukraine and Slovakia signed the Memorandum on cooperation in the field of reverse gas supplies.

According to the Prime Minister of Ukraine Arseniy Yatsenyuk, annual supplies may amount to about 8 billion cubic meters, with a further opportunity to increase.

The delegation of the Slovak company visited Kyiv on April 25, where they discussed with the "UkrTransGas" and "Naftogaz Ukraine" "minor amendments to the text of the memorandum."

After signing the document, in a short time Eustream will examine technical possibilities for gas transportation via the pipeline Voyany-Uzhgorod to speed up the start of return flow and to increase previously scheduled amount of deliveries.

Over the past two years, Ukraine has not been able to agree with Slovakia on gas supplies from its territory.

According to the head of the "Naftogaz" Andriy Kobolyev, Ukraine may annually import 30 billion cubic meters of gas via this route, thus minimizing the energy dependence on the "Gazprom".