12.12.02

Russia, Ukraine appoint representatives to gas transit consortium

Russian and Ukrainian Prime Ministers Mikhail Kasyanov and Viktor Yanukovich appointed their countries' representatives to a Russian-Ukrainian gas transit consortium on Monday. They are Deputy Prime Ministers Viktor Khristenko and Anatoliy Haiduk, Kasyanov told journalists.

The Prime Minister said that the joint venture to operate and advance Ukraine's gas transit networks will soon be registered as a legal entity. "This will happen by mid-January, when the consortium's supervisory council is due to start working," Kasyanov said.

He said that a trilateral working group representing Russia, Ukraine and Germany will meet in February to discuss options for German companies to join the consortium.

Earlier reports named Ruhrgas as a potential German participant in the consortium.

Kasyanov said that a Russian-Ukrainian intergovernmental commission for trade and business ties will meet in February to summarize the results of the first stage of creating the gas transit consortium.

The Prime Minister said that investments will start arriving in August 2003. He did not rule out that the possibilities for and terms of German companies joining the joint venture will be determined by then. "I see no problems in fulfilling these agreements," Kasyanov said.

He said that during his visit to Germany on December 2-3, he and Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder discussed the possibility of German companies' participating in the consortium.