Photo from UNIAN
Energy giant NJSC Naftogaz of Ukraine has spoken out for inviting a European partner in the management of the Ukrainian gas transport system (GTS) so that European companies could buy gas on Ukraine's eastern border and ship it onto the European market, thus transit shipments of gas will continue after the current gas transit contract between Ukraine and Russia's Gazprom expires.
"The future operation of Ukraine's gas transport system could be ensured by European companies, which will buy Russian gas on the Ukrainian eastern border," Naftogaz's press service said on Facebook while commenting on Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko's remark about the need to relocate European companies' Russian gas delivery points from the western to eastern border of Ukraine.
"A reliable international partner should be engaged in the management of Ukraine's gas transport system so that they [European companies] could initiate the relocation of gas delivery points to our eastern frontier," Naftogaz said.
To start trading in gas in Ukraine, European companies need a reliable counteragent in the operation of the gas transport system, which will reduce most of risks, including corruption-related ones, it said.
"Such a counteragent means [to the European companies] convenient and usual tools of work, an understandable language and clear rules. It also means protection against corruption and other risks, which, unfortunately, are associated with Ukraine. But to get such an international partner, it is necessary to 'do our homework' – to set up a company [as the operator of the gas transport system] with quality management and create transparent conditions for its work, without political interference," Naftogaz added.
Read alsoUkraine got over Russia's "gas blackmail", Poroshenko saysAs UNIAN reported, Poroshenko said in his annual address to parliament on September 7 that the era of Russia's "gas blackmail" of Ukraine was over. He also noted that the task of Ukraine after the gas transit contract with Gazprom expires late in 2019 should be the relocation of gas delivery points: the Europeans should be able to buy Russian gas on the eastern rather than on the western border of Ukraine, and Ukraine should provide quality transit services to the EU rather than to Russia.
Russian gas transit across Ukraine in the eight months of 2017 increased by 23%, to 51.2 billion cubic meters.