Ukraine’s Yatsenyuk Inaugurates Vojany-Uzhgorod Gas Pipeline
A few hours after Gazprom’s launch of construction works for the Power of Siberia gas transmission system (GTS), Ukraine’s PM Arseniy Yatsenyuk inaugurated the Vojany-Uzhgorod gas pipeline in Veľké Kapušany, Slovakia, on Tuesday.
"Of course, this is not the final solution, but this is a huge step forward. Ukraine today can say that together with our Slovak friends and the Commission, we have taken the first step towards the diversification of energy supply and reduction in energy dependence," Yatsenyuk said in a note released on the Government’s website.
Ukraine, which recently ratified the Third Energy Package, is drifting away from Russian gas. Reverse flow does indeed decrease its reliance on Russia.
“We did it because we - the EU and Ukraine - were and are united. This is the best recipe for victory. And we did it," Yatsenyuk commented during the ceremony attended also by Prime Minister of Slovakia Robert Fico and Director for Internal Energy Market of the European Commission Klaus-Dieter Borchardt.
According to the PM, reverse flow and the opportunity for Ukraine to buy gas in Europe will replace 40% of gas previously bought from Russia’s Gazprom.
"We need unity, unified approaches in the policy and economy, unified approaches in the energy sector. And our joint work by one hundred percent will ensure as supply as transit of gas, if we together operate and modernize the Ukrainian gas transport system," he added in a separate statement, in which he also said that such a result would have been unimaginable six months ago.
The ceremony follows a similar event in Eastern Russia. President Vladimir Putin and China’s First Vice Premier Zhang Gaoli took part to the celebration dedicated to welding the first joint of the Power of Siberia GTS on Monday.
UKRAINE’S POSITION
Meanwhile, Naftogaz made clear Ukraine’s position in the next round of the trilateral negotiations between Ukraine, Russia and the European Union.
Ukraine asks to pay the current price at European gas hubs less the transportation cost from the Russian border to these hubs. That would be the price Kiev would be willing to correspond also for unpaid gas volumes.
‘Implementing such changes is not a privilege but a responsibility of Gazprom. According to the existing contract, the company is obliged to act in good faith when the other party suggests justified contract changes. The only reason why Gazprom would reject to implement the changes which align the transit agreement with Ukraine’s formal international obligations and national legislation, would be a desire to limit Ukraine’s access to the European gas market,’ Naftogaz wrote on Tuesday.