"We signed the document today," Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko said early on Sunday, after talks with Czech Prime Minister Mirek Topolanek.
Topolanek, whose country currently holds the European Union rotating presidency, said that, "Nothing prevents Russia now from resuming gas supplies."
The Czech prime minister said that the transit of Russian gas to Europe could be resumed within 36 hours.
Russia and the European Union signed the document on January 10. The document was signed by Russian Deputy Prime Minister Igor Sechin, the energy giant Gazprom's CEO Alexei Miller, as well as by Martin Riman, the industry and trade minister of the Czech Republic.
Russia and Ukraine failed to agree on New Year's Eve on how to settle Kiev's gas debts or on a contract for 2009 deliveries. As a result, gas supplies from Russia to European consumers via Ukraine were first reduced and then halted on January 7.
Russia had earlier pledged that gas supplies would resume when an international gas transit monitoring group to include representatives of Gazprom, Ukraine's Naftogaz, the Russian and Ukrainian energy ministries, the European Commission, European consumer companies and international monitoring organizations was set up.
However, Tymoshenko told her Czech counterpart that the commission monitoring the Russian gas flow to Europe via Ukraine should operate for no more than one month. "We believe that this is an objective deadline that is enough to check Ukraine's honesty and accuracy," Tymoshenko said.
Tymoshenko also warned that Ukraine would not pay for Russian gas used for transit purposes until a contract for gas supplies and transit in 2009 with Russia was signed. "As soon as these agreements are signed, Ukraine will pay for the technical gas," she said.
"According to today's estimates, this amount exceeds 70 million cubic meters of gas that Ukraine provided to stabilize transit," Tymoshenko said.
However, Gazprom said that Ukraine was obliged under a contract with the company to ensure the transit of Russian gas from its own resources.
Gazprom has accused Ukraine of stealing more than 86 million cubic meters of gas since the start of the year, but Kiev denied the accusations, saying that Russia was trying to discredit Ukraine as a reliable gas transit partner.
The EU gets a quarter of its gas from Russia, 80% of which comes via Ukraine.
