Ukraine expects a response from its partners in Europe and Russia to its proposal to create a joint venture on the construction of a new gas pipeline across its territory, President Viktor Yanukovych has said.
"As for the gas transport system, we have our own strategy that we proposed to our colleagues in the EU and Russia. This strategy suggests creating a joint venture with the participation of the European Union, Russia and Ukraine. I mean the construction of a gas pipeline across Ukraine that would have ensured the additional pumping of gas required for Europe," he said at a joint press conference with U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in Kyiv on Friday.
Yanukovych said that Ukraine should be a reliable supplier of hydrocarbons to the EU. He also said that Ukraine would do everything to guarantee the reliable work of the Ukrainian gas transport and oil pipeline systems.
Speaking about the proposal to create a joint venture on the construction of a gas pipeline across Ukraine, he noted that calculations made in Ukraine showed that these proposals could be "attractive and competitive."
"We currently expect responses and transparent decision-making procedures from our partners," Yanukovych said.
He noted that Ukraine was not opposed to the modernization of its gas transport system along with partners from other countries.
Yanukovych said that such modernization would help ensure the stable operation of the gas transport system and increase gas pumping volumes.
Yanukovych said earlier that the modernization of the Ukrainian gas transportation system could be conducted in three stages. The first stage envisages the construction of the Bohorodchany-Uzhgorod pipeline, which will help increase the volume of gas pumping by about 10 billion cubic meters. The second foresees the modernization and re-equipment of the current gas transport system, which will also enable the pumping of an additional 20 billion cubic meters. The third stage, he said, should be the construction of new pipelines alongside the existing ones.
