Vienna – Ukraine should initiate the European Union's participation in a possible gas transport consortium and it should specify its proposals, EU Ambassador to Ukraine Jan Tombinski has said.
“The gas transport system (GTS) belongs to Ukraine. That’s why the EU will not come with some proposals, as it is Ukraine’s business, and Ukraine should invite the EU… But there are no specific proposals,” he told an Interfax-Ukraine reporter at the conference “Inside Ukraine” organized by the Economist with the support of the Foundation for Effective Governance in Vienna.
The ambassador added that the EU also needs to be fully informed about Ukraine’s GTS and Kyiv should follow the European Energy Community’s rules.
The diplomat also said that at the current stage, the European Commission noted that EU Energy Commissioner Gunther Oettinger could represent the EU in the negotiation process on the issue, as he is in touch with European gas market operators.
At the same time, Tombinski noted that allocation of funds from the European budget is not under discussion and the point is in the project’s compliance with the EU’s regulations.
On March 19, 2013, Ukrainian Prime Minister Mykola Azarov told a press conference that the creation of a trilateral consortium for the management of Ukraine’s GTS depends on European partners.
“We’re ready and Russia is ready too. Where is the third side? Where is the EU’s support for such format of cooperation to manage the gas transport consortium?” he said.
Head of the European Commission’s Communication and Interinstitutional Relations Unit Florian Ermacora also told the conference that the EU is interested in the creation of the trilateral consortium, as it could help to draw funds for the modernization of the GTS and improve its reliability.
“The European Commission gave a clear notice that we are interested in the trilateral consortium. We think that a trilateral consortium is the right solution for the problem,” he said.
At the same time, he said that the creation of a bilateral consortium by Ukraine and Russia is also possible.
“Our position is the following – please inform us about what is going on, especially before undertaking any obligations, especially legal ones,” he said.
