Ukraine's government on Thursday dismissed Oleksiy Ivchenko, who negotiated an unpopular gas price increase with Russia, from his post as head of the state oil and gas company Naftogaz Ukrainy, a spokesman said.
Ivchenko was a key negotiator in talks that led to Kiev accepting the nearly twofold increase in gas prices in a January agreement condemned by several leading politicians.
"The Cabinet of Ministers made a decision to dismiss Oleksiy Ivchenko from his post as head of state company Naftogaz Ukrainy in accordance with the request he submitted," Valentyn Mondrievsky, spokesman for the prime minister, told reporters after a cabinet meeting.
Ivchenko, appointed to run Naftogaz in March 2005, was elected to parliament in a March poll. Under the constitution, parliamentarians cannot hold government or corporate positions.
Ivchenko was under fire for most of his term at Naftogaz for his stance in the talks with Russian gas monopoly Gazprom over supplies and transit. In January, Ukraine agreed to pay $95 per 1,000 cubic meters of gas, compared with $50 previously. The deal involved an intermediary, RosUkrEnergo, a company criticised in Russia, Ukraine and elsewhere over its obscure ownership structure.
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