President Victor Yushchenko, First Deputy Premier Stanislav Stashevsky, Energy Minister Ivan Plachkov, Coal Minister Victor Topolov, First Deputy Chief of Staff Ivan Vasyunyk, ERA Director Evhen Sukhin, and NAS President Borys Paton took part in a ceremony to present Ukraine’s long-term energy strategy. Ukraine’s leading scientists, energy specialists and foreign diplomats attended the event, according to the President’s press-office.
The Head of State said one of our most important objectives was to help Ukraine become an active player on the world’s energy market and then urged foreign partners to support this intention.
“Ukraine should actively participate in the formation of new energy markets,” he said.
Mr. Stashevsky continued: “The government is convinced that the implementation of this strategy and particularly the country’s participation in international and interstate energy projects will make Ukraine an influential and active player in the field of energy.”
The President said the major customer of the strategy was our society, for “it is the most active player on the energy market and the biggest energy consumer.”
Ukrainians must know how the proposed strategy harmonizes the system of relations between producers and consumers of energy, he added.
“I am convinced together we will be able to carry out all priorities of the strategy and … introduce a new policy of energy efficiency and energy consumption,” Mr. Yushchenko said, thanking those involved in formulating the strategy.
It was worked out by Ukraine’s Energy Minister and includes the following priorities:
integrating Ukraine’s energy system with Europe;
increasing energy export;
promoting Ukraine as an oil and gas transporter;
meeting the increasing demand for energy without interruption;
improving Ukraine’s energy security;
reducing industrial energy consumption;
reducing pollution;
According to the document, Ukraine’s GDP rate will increase by three times by 2030 but energy consumption will only grow by 47.5%. The strategy should help the country considerably reduce its energy dependence, gas import and gas consumption. The government also plans to create a strategic resource of oil and gas and imporve energy laws.
