The National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine has made decision to cancel the government’s resolution on unilateral denunciation of the agreement with Vanco.
Ukraine’s security chief Raisa Bohatyryova claimed this to journalists on Friday.
“As of today, it has been proved that Vanco company legally took part in the contest, and won it on the conditions, proposed by the government in 2005. All the necessary documents with the government were drawn up, and the company is ready to fulfill its obligations. At present the ball is at the government’s field, and it must fulfill these decisions”, R.Bohatyryova said.
According to her, the legality of procedures was confirmed by the Verkhovna Rada Institute of Legislation.
“The Prosecutor’s General Office also provided its conclusions”, R.Bohatyryova added.
She also informed that, on the initiative of the working group, it was proposed to cancel the government’s decision on unilateral denunciation of the agreement with Vanco.
“The Prosecutor’s General Office must take efficient measures against those who do not fulfill decisions of PGO. And these decisions were adopted today with the majority of votes. The Prime Minister voted against”, R.Bohatyryova said.
As UNIAN reported earlier, on May 21, the Cabinet of Ministers made decision about a unilateral denunciation of the agreement with Vanco on distribution of production. “The President’s decree openly indicates corruption of higher officials. The President wanted, by means of his decree, to force the government to return Vanco its license on Black Sea Shelves exploration. It was one of the most large-scale schemes, which was fulfilled in Ukraine. The Cabinet of Ministers has made a decision to unilaterally denounce the agreement with Vanco, despite the roofing and the attempts to use the Prosecutor’s General Office, which, after a meeting with the President, decided to appeal against the government’s decision to cancel the license”, Top Deputy Prime Minister O.Turchynov claimed. At the same time, the First Vice Prime Minister referred to provisions of the Ukrainian Constitution, in line with which citizens do not have to fulfill criminal decisions. O.Turchynov believes that the decision to return the license on exploration of strategic gas reserves to the off-shore company was a direct crime.
“I hope the American side, in its turn, will carry out an investigation into the corrupted scheme, by means of which they forced the American company to perform a role of an intermediary and to cover shadow economical interests”, O.Turchynov said.
In 2006 Vanco International Ltd. Won the first open contest and signed an agreement with the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine in 2007 on the exploration of the Black Sea Shelf.
Yulia Tymoshenko’s government pulled Vanco’s license to explore a vast 12,900km field off the Crimean peninsula, citing concern that Gazprom could, through partners, gain a hidden interest in the project that was originally intended to diversify energy supplies by boosting domestic production. Ms Tymoshenko also suggested past governments might have compromised Kyiv’s “national interests” by yielding such a large field and unjustifiable proceeds to a single group.
On May 20 President of Ukraine Victor Yushchenko signed a decree, with which he confirmed the decision of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine on creating an Inter-Department working group to probe into legality of the agreement on Black Sea Shelf exploration, concluded between the state of Ukraine and Vanco company. Raisa Bohatyryova headed the group.
