Ukraine would like to get controlling block of shares in gas consortium being set up

Ukraine will insist on getting a controlling block of shares in the international consortium for managing the gas transportation system of Ukraine (GTS) being set up.

Prime Minister of Ukraine Anatoly Kinakh made such a statement upon his return to Kiev from Chisinau where he took part in a session of CIS heads of government. In the Moldova's capital the Russian and Ukrainian premiers signed an agreement on strategic cooperation in the energy sphere. Moreover, heads of Russian Gazprom and Ukrainian Nafta-Gaz signed in Chisinau an agreement on setting up an enterprise - international gas consortium.

According to the agreement, Russia and Ukraine are setting up the consortium on a parity basis as an economic community for transportation and provision of security and stability of the Ukrainian gas transportation system operation.

According to the Ukrainian premier, the setting up of the consortium will be based on the Ukrainian legislation. At the same time, possible privatisation of the gas transportation system is not considered, Kinakh stressed.

According to the data provided by RIA Novosti, the text of the agreement signed will be submitted Tuesday to the Ukrainian parliament, as well as to countries - potential participants in the consortium, which include Germany, France and Italy.

Meanwhile, Gazprom insists that the consortium should be created on a parity basis. The more so that Kinakh himself spelled out this viewpoint right after signing the agreement.

The Ukrainian GTS comprises 36,700 km of trunk gas pipelines and 122 compressor stations. There are 13 underground gas warehouses designed for keeping over 30 billion cubic metres of gas in Ukraine.

The system is capable of pumping 135 billion cubic metres of gas annually. In the past few years Russia has been pumping 120 billion cubic metres of gas to European countries through the Ukrainian GTS annually. Russia supplies 30 billion cubic metres of gas to Ukraine as a payment for transit.