Ukraine has launched profound reform of the national gas market, Ukrainian President Viktor Yuschenko has said.

Yuschenko said this in an exclusive interview with the Inter TV Channel, the presidential press service reported on Friday.

The president stressed that since 2006 the country's diplomats had been striving for uniting national and foreign resources for the modernization of the Ukrainian gas transportation system and bringing it up to European standards. Their efforts resulted in holding an international investment conference in Brussels lately.

Yuschenko said that signing the declaration between the European Union and Ukraine had marked the transition from negotiations to practical steps on the integration of Ukraine's gas transportation system into European energy, economic and legal space.

When asked about parliamentary and presidential elections in Ukraine, Yuschenko pointed out the need to amend election laws and to introduce an open-list election system.

While speaking about Ukraine's cooperation with the International Monetary Fund, the president said that Ukraine's government should meet all the conditions put forth by the Fund.

The interview with President Yuschenko will be broadcast on Inter TV Channel at 2000 on Sunday, March 29.