Naftogaz signs contract with Havel & Partners law firm to protect its interests in IUGAS case
The relevant agreement was published in the Prozorro e-procurement system, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.
The contract was signed for a period of two years, until March 2026. The law firm undertakes to provide consulting services, legal opinions, prepare and submit claims, motions, objections and complaints, etc. The total number of hours for the services under the contract is approximately 967.
In 2008, Italia Ukraina Gas (IUGAS) accused Naftogaz of failing to fulfill its obligations under the contract for the supply of natural gas, which was signed in 2003.
In 2013, the Arbitration Institute of the Stockholm Chamber of Commerce ordered Naftogaz to fulfill the contract and supply 13.1 billion cubic meters of natural gas to the plaintiff at the 2003 prices.
As part of the enforcement of the arbitration award, a Slovak bailiff seized Naftogaz’s natural gas imported through the territory of Slovakia. Naftogaz reported on numerous abuses by the Slovak bailiff, which had led to the artificial creation and accumulation of around EUR 22 million in debt for Naftogaz for the alleged storage of previously seized natural gas.
In December 2021, the Constitutional Court of the Slovak Republic satisfied the claims of Naftogaz of Ukraine NJSC regarding the violation of the company’s rights to a fair trial and found that Naftogaz had suffered unreasonable losses in enforcement proceedings in the Slovak Republic in a dispute against Italia Ukraina Gas (IUGAS).
