Ukraine does not agree to manage Ukrainian gas-transport system jointly with Russia in the framework of consortium, as declared Andriy Lopushansky, first vice president of Naftogaz, UNIAN informs.
He noted that Russia insists on joint management of the gas-transport consortium, but Ukraine considers this choice unacceptable. “In my opinion, this question should not be discussed; it is the Ukraine’s strategy and nobody has a right to encroach on it,” said Lopushansky.
Alexander Ryazanov, vice president of Gazprom, declared that Gazprom is willing to revise the issue of formation of full-fledged consortium on management of gas-transport system of Ukraine.
“Unfortunately, the actual authority of Ukraine and Naftogaz reduce the consortium to a small piece of the pipe,” added Ryazanov.
Aleksey Miller, president of Gazprom, declares that Moscow will make a compromise with Kyiv but only after Gazprom will have got a share in main gas pipelines of Ukraine. He reminded that Ukraine, Russia and Germany has signed the agreement on formation of international gas-transport consortium. According to him, Moscow had invested 17 million dollars in the project, but it did not start working as the new power of Ukraine considered it unacceptable to transfer pipes to Russia.
International Consortium on Management and Development of Gas and Transport System of Ukraine Ltd was created in accordance with the agreements fixed in the statement of the Presidents of Russia and Ukraine of June 9, 2002 and the Agreement on Strategic Cooperation in Gas Sphere signed by the Cabinets of Russia and Ukraine on October 7, 2002.
The members of the Consortium taking part in the meeting on August 31, 2004, coordinated the actions for the realization of investment stage launched since September 1, 2004. The first step of the investment stage was gas pipe-line construction from Bogorodchany to Uzhgorod (234 km).
The Consortium intends to build new gas pipe-line Novopskov-Uzhgorod which will be controlled by both Russia and Ukraine.
