08.05.03

Representatives from Gazprom, Naftohaz Ukrayiny, Ruhrgas discuss gas consortium

Executives from Russia's Gazprom, Naftohaz Ukrayiny and Germany's Ruhrgas met in Kyiv on Wednesday to discuss models for an international gas transport consortium.

Russian Ambassador to Ukraine Victor Chernomyrdin said that Gazprom executive Yuri Komarov represented the Russian side.

During the meeting the German side was familiarized with three possible models for the gas consortium, developed by Russia and Ukraine earlier, and also presented its vision for the project.

Ukrainian Fuel and Energy Minister Sergei Yermilov told journalists earlier that the German side is not likely to make any serious changes to the existing models, as they were developed by Ukrainian and Russian specialists taking the interests of the third party into consideration.

As reported earlier, Russia and Ukraine set up OOO International Consortium for the Management and Development of the Gas Transport Network of Ukraine, with equal participation. Naftohaz Ukrayiny and Gazprom signed the founding documents for the consortium at the start of November 2002. Later, representatives from Ruhrgas were invited to participate in trilateral negotiations on the international consortium.

The consortium will, under mutually profitable conditions, ensure the transportation of gas and also the reliability, security and stability of the Ukrainian gas transportation system.

During the first Russian-Ukrainian-German meeting on the consortium on April 23, the sides informed each other of preliminary work.