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15
September
2021

Ukraine proposes to include condition of giving access to all gas pipelines supplying Russian gas to EU in Nord Stream 2 AG certification – Naftogaz chief

KYIV. Sept 15 (Interfax-Ukraine) – Ukraine has proposed that the condition of giving access to all gas pipelines supplying Russian gas to the EU is included in the certification of Nord Stream 2 AG, Naftogaz Ukrainy CEO Yuriy Vitrenko told reporters following negotiations with State Secretary at the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy of Germany Andreas Feicht.

"All companies, primarily European ones, should receive non-discriminatory access, like Gazprom, to all gas pipelines that connect Russia and the European Union. So that European companies can decide for themselves which pipeline they will transport gas through. We explained how it works and why it should be a requirement for the certification of Nord Stream 2 AG and provided all the economic arguments," he said.

According to him, this condition is necessary to ensure fair competition in accordance with European legislation, which came from a statement of Germany and the United States on the Nord Stream 2 issue.

Vitrenko also said that some European companies want to receive gas at the Ukraine-Russian border, independently ordering transit capacities through the Ukrainian gas tranmission system.

In addition, Ukraine recalled that during the construction of bypass flows for the delivery of Russian gas to the EU, they were announced for additional volumes of gas that should go to Europe.

"Therefore, we say: if this is about additional volumes, then let the volumes that now go through Ukraine be preserved, and not transferred to Nord Stream 2 as Russia says," Vitrenko said.

According to him, Ukraine is ready to negotiate the extension of the transit contract with Gazprom, but this extension in itself is not a sufficient guarantee of maintaining transit through Ukraine, therefore, non-discriminatory access and contracts with European companies are needed.

The top manager of Naftogaz also said that Gazprom is already using gas as a political weapon, artificially limiting gas supplies to the EU, causing a sharp rise in spot prices in Europe.