OSLO - Ukraine is disappointed by the lack of interest of the European Union in the modernization of the country's gas transportation system (GTS), Ukrainian Prime Minister Mykola Azarov has said.
“Ukraine is disappointed that the EU has not shown any active stand
on the project for the modernization of the Ukrainian gas transportation
system,” Azarov’s spokesman Vitaliy Lukianenko quoted the Ukrainian
premier as saying after a meeting with Norwegian counterpart Jens
Stoltenberg in Oslo on Friday.
The Ukrainian prime minister noted that Ukraine had joined the
European Energy Charter long ago, and had been complying with all of its
obligations, but the country’s expectations of this membership had not
been met.
“Why should Ukraine maintain its very powerful and expensive gas
transportation system, if consumers in the European Union do not show
any interest in its modernization, while suppliers in the Russian
Federation are building ways to bypass Ukraine?” Azarov said.
According to the Ukrainian prime minister, the EU is not supporting
any matter in which Ukraine is interested. In particular, the country
lacks the EU’s support in the talks between Ukraine and Russia on the
revision of gas contracts and the price of gas for Ukraine.
Besides, Kyiv has not had any response about Brussels’ specific
position on the issue of upgrading its gas transportation system, as
well as any practical response to the proposal to create a tripartite
consortium to manage the Ukrainian GTS, the Ukrainian premier said.
