Ukraine reportedly duped on $1bn gas deal

01/11

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Vlad Kaskiv, head of Ukraine’s state investment agency and Jordi Sarda Bonvehi sign the agreement.

02/11

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Prime Minister Mykola Azarov watching broadcast from the construction site of the LNG terminal.

03/11

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(from left) Jordi Sarda Bonvehi, Prime Minister Mykola Azarov and Energy Minister Yuriy Boyko.

04/11

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Head of Ukraine’s state investment agency Vlad Kaskiv.

05/11

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Prime Minister Mykola Azarov.

06/11

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Vlad Kaskiv, head of Ukraine’s state investment agency and Jordi Sarda Bonvehi sign the agreement.

07/11

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Vlad Kaskiv, head of Ukraine’s state investment agency and Edward Scott Senior Vice President of Excelerate Energy sign the agreement.

08/11

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(from left)Senior Vice President of Excelerate Energy Edward Scott, Sarda Bonvehi, Prime Minister Mykola Azarov, Energy Minister Yuriy Boyko and Vlad Kaskiv, head of Ukraine’s state investment agency.

09/11

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Prime Minister Mykola Azarov and Energy Minister Yuriy Boyko watching live video from construction site of the LNG terminal.

10/11

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Prime Minister Mykola Azarov and Energy Minister Yuriy Boyko watching live video from construction site of the LNG terminal.

11/11

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Energy Minister Yuriy Boyko.

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One of Ukraine’s steps to energy independence quickly turned into a fiasco after signing a $1.1 billion deal on joint construction of an LNG terminal on the Black Sea. Now Kiev is trying to figure out with whom it actually signed the contract.

Such an agreement was formally in the presence of Prime Minister Mykola Azarov and Energy Minister Yuri Boiko signed by the head of the State Agency for Investment and national projects Vladyslav Kaskiv on Monday, November 26th.
The Financial Times notes that in the name of Gas Natural Fenosa has signed an agreement a man who spoke Spanish. "Kaskiv and his staff identified it as Geordie Sard Bonwit" - the newspaper notes.
Officials in Gas Natural Fenosa say they do not sign any agreements with Ukraine, do not know Sard Bonvin, and it does not represent their campaign or subsidiaries.
"Gas Natural Fenosa has not signed any contract with respect to investment in LNG-terminal in Ukraine, or on the management consortium for the construction of the terminal," - said in a statement the campaign. "We categorically deny the reports, which cruised to the media during the day," - added in a statement.