The European Commission supports all six projects, which are being realized by the "UkrTransNafta" together with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development and the European Investment Bank, adviser for energy of the European Commission Directorate General for External Relations Faouzi Bensarsa said while meeting with "UkrTransNafta" leadership, "Cabinet press office” reported.
According to Deputy Chairman of the "UkrTransNafta" Board Ihor Horodets, out of six projects the paramount is the construction of the 120,000-ton oil reservoir at the marine oil terminal "Southern", "as the project is strategic in the context of development of the Odesa-Brody system and will play an important role in the structure of oil supply to Europe."
The Ukrainian side stated its concerns about proposals of the Polish side under a draft intergovernmental agreement on oil transportation from the Caspian region via the Odesa - Brody - Plock. Poland has offered to increase the number of participants in the projects from two to five (Ukraine, Polish, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan and Georgia), that run counter to the earlier reached agreements. Ukraine is also concerned about Poland's proposal of the first-priority right of the Polish company PERN to privatization of "UkrTransNafta", which runs mainline oil pipelines of Ukraine. Faouzi Bensarsa shared the concerns.
During the meeting the parties confirmed their readiness to continue cooperation in creating strategic oil reserves in Ukraine.
The public joint-stock company "UkrTransNafta" is the operator of the Ukrainian mainline oil pipeline system, the second biggest in Europe. The general length of the system is 4,570 km and carrying capacity 100 million tons of oil per annum. The 100% share parcel of the company belongs to the national joint-stock company "NaftoGaz of Ukraine".
