Photo from UNIAN
Ukraine remains a reliable gas transit state, and there are no threats the operations of the country’s gas transport system, Prime Minister of Ukraine Volodymyr Groysman said during his meeting with Vice-President of the European Commission for the Energy Union Maros Sefcovic.
"Ukraine is a reliable transit country. The system is working, and there is no threat," the government press service quoted Groysman as saying.
Read alsoNord Stream 2 biggest threat to EU's 2020 targets for energy efficiency, renewables - mediaThe sides also touched upon the issue of the implementation of Nord Stream 2 pipeline project and political threats it bears. At the same time, the head of the Ukrainian government said he expected EU’s further support in countering Russian political projects in the energy field. This applies to both constructing Nord Stream 2 and pumping Russian gas into Germany’s OPAL pipeline.
As UNIAN reported earlier, the transit of natural gas via Ukraine’s gas transport system in 2016 increased by 23% compared with 2015, up to 82.2 billion cubic meters.
Read alsoDW: Court intervenes in gas dispute, says Polish utilityAccording to the transit contract between Ukraine and Russia, Gazprom is obliged to pump via Ukraine no less than 110 bcm of gas annually. Violation of this provision is disputed between Kyiv and Moscow in Stockholm Arbitration Chamber. The judgment may be handed down as early as in the first half of 2017.
In January 2017, the transit of natural gas via the Ukrainian GTS has increased year-over-year by 38%, up to 8.9 bcm.