Ukraine should remain important gas transit country – Sefcovic

"The current reforms in the energy sector aim, inter alia, also at attracting (foreign) investors to the Ukrainian energy market. Ukraine is and should remain an important gas transit country. The participation of European companies could be interesting in maintaining and strengthening this role," Sefcovic stated in his commentary to UNIAN, answering the question whether European companies would be interested in being involved in the management of the Ukrainian gas system.

The same role European companies may play regarding some underground gas storages in Ukraine that the country plans to privatize, Sefcovic noted, adding that the gas storage system in Ukraine "is an important and valuable asset" for the country.

Talking about the implementation of the third energy package by the EU member states, and assessing the situation in Slovenia where Russian Gazprom is blocking a reverse for Ukraine, the Vice-President noted that the adoption and implementation of internal energy market legislation was "an important objective not only for EU member states but also for all countries being members of the Energy Community, including Ukraine. Reverse flows are an important contribution to enhancing energy security."

When asked about the effectiveness of diversification for the EU in the situation where one Russian project will compete with another Russian project (North Stream and South Stream), Sefcovic noted that the diversification was "an important objective of the Energy Union. It implies diversification in terms of routes and sources."

When asked to assess the possibility for Ukraine to be completely independent from Russian gas, Sefcovic stated:

"In the EU, we are pursuing, as laid down in the Energy Union framework strategy of February 2015, a diversification strategy, both in terms of sources and routes. Policies focusing on energy efficiency, moderation of demand and internal market rules should also contribute to energy security; I believe this is also a good model and strategy for Ukraine."