Ukraine's leading English-language newspaper since 1995

MUNICH - Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko has said that the construction of new gas pipelines going through Ukraine will allow raise shipments of Russian gas and to supply gas from Iran.

She was speaking at the 45th annual Munich Security Conference on Saturday.

The premier stressed that Ukraine is a reliable transit state and labeled the statements about the need to build gas pipelines bypassing Ukraine as absurd.

"The idea of alternative pipelines bypassing Ukraine is absurd because the additional pipelines should be built not to bypass but to provide for additional volumes of gas," Tymoshenko said.

"The increasing gas production in Russia, and I know there is such policy in Russia, exploration of gas potential of such countries as Iran will provide answers to many questions," she added.