The signing of a memorandum on reverse gas supplies through Slovakia will enhance Ukraine's energy security and help the country gain access to a variety of supply sources, the European Commission has reported.
According to the report, the successful implementation of gas flows
from the EU to Ukraine is a win-win situation for both parties. It
allows Ukraine to access a variety of gas sources – among them Norwegian
gas or liquefied natural gas (LNG) from the global markets – at
competitive prices.
“This is an important first step to diversify Ukraine’s sources of
gas supply and contributes to greater energy security in Eastern Europe
and the EU as a whole,” European Commission President Jose Manuel
Barroso was quoted as saying in the report.
The European Commission also noted that Ukraine, as a member of the
Energy Community Ukraine, would ensure the approximation of the
Ukrainian legal and regulatory framework, which is a prerequisite for
higher investor’s confidence and could lead to a better use of Ukraine’s
immense gas infrastructure, for example as regards storage capacity.
According to EU Energy Commissioner Gunther Oettinger, today’s
agreement “marks a milestone” and “is a first step for gas flows from
Slovakia to Ukraine and strengthens the ties between the EU’s energy
market and Ukraine.”
