Turkmenistan, Ashgabat, October 23/ Trend, H. Hasanov /
Ukraine continues to study the possibility of resuming of Turkmen gas supplies, Ukrainian media outlets reported with the reference to the statement of Ukranian Minister of Energy and Coal Industry Eduard Stavisky.
The Ukrainian delegation recently held talks in Ashgabat with the Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources of Turkmenistan Muhammetnur Khalilov.
"Ukrainian minister said that the country is interested in resuming the supply of natural gas from Turkmenistan. He also stressed that Ukraine would like to participate in the exploration and development of oil and gas fields, as well as in the construction of the fuel and energy complex of Turkmenistan," Reporter UA reported.
The parties agreed to continue active cooperation in the energy sphere.
Ukrainian sources said that Kiev hopes to resume direct supplies of Turkmen gas from 2015 after an agreement on free trade between the CIS countries will fully operate. There is a point in this agreement concerning fuel piping system.
This agreement was ratified by Ukraine and Russia, but this point may come into play in 2015 due to delays caused by Russia. According to this point, Kiev may have an opportunity to directly order gas supply from Turkmenistan .
Turkmen gas hasn't been delivered to Ukraine on direct agreements since early 2006.
Following the negotiations with his Turkmen counterpart, Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov, in February 2013, Ukrainian president Viktor Yanukovych noted that the two countries have opportunities to consolidate efforts to study alternative routes of gas supply that meet their own demands and for subsequent export to Europe.
A memorandum of understanding between the National Joint-Stock Company Naftogaz of Ukraine and Turkmengaz State Concern was signed in Ashgabat within this visit.
Official representatives of Kiev recently noted the importance of Ukraine's participation in the construction of the East-West gas pipeline and the second line of Malay-Bagtyyarlyk pipeline which is a branch of Turkmenistan-China gas pipeline in Turkmenistan.
In addition, the possibility for Ukrainian participation in the transnational TAPI gas pipeline (Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India) was also noted.
