After the Vojany-Uzhgorod gas pipeline goes fully on line, Ukraine will be able to get over 50 percent of the gas it needs from the European Union, said Ukrainian Energy and Coal Industry Minister, Yuriy Prodan.
“The annual volume of reverse supplies we could get from Slovakia is estimated at 8 billion to 10 billion cubic meters. Taking Slovakia, Poland and Hungary into account [the gas corridors across these countries] we would be able to obtaine more than 50 percent of our needs for gas imports,” Prodan told reporters in Kyiv on Aug. 19.
He said these gas corridors would channel about 16 billion cubic meters of gas to Ukraine each year.
At the same time, Prodan pointed out to attempts by Gazprom to influence European partners so that they don’t sell gas to Ukraine.
“There are attempts by Gazprom to prevent gas shipments to us, to influence European operators during talks with them,” the minister said.
