Kyiv Post asked the CEO of Naftogaz, Yuriy Vitrenko, for his reaction to the change of government in Germany and its implications for Ukraine. Here is his response, exclusive to Kyiv Post:
“Naftogaz welcomes the coalition of German political parties that will form the new Federal Government. In the coalition agreement we noted the phrase that any new gas pipelines must meet the requirements of the European energy rules.
We interpret this to mean specifically the ownership unbundling of the entire pipeline operator, as well as non-discriminatory third-party access to all the pipeline routes to the EU. Obviously, the Nord Stream 2 pipeline does not meet these European energy rules and as a result must not be certified. Naftogaz participates in the NS2 pipeline certification to protect our legal and commercial rights and to ensure that the process adheres to the letter and spirit of the EU third energy package. We will advocate for this with the new German coalition government and with the European Commission, both of which will have a decided role in the certification process.”
