Ukraine-Russia-EU meeting could clarify possibility of using Ukrainian pipelines instead of South Stream project, says Oettinger

16:43

A three-way meeting between Ukraine, Russia and the European Union could make it clear whether it is possible to use pipelines running through the south of Ukraine as an alternative to the South Stream project, European Commissioner on Energy Günther Oettinger said during a meeting with Ukrainian Prime Minister Mykola Azarov in Kyiv on Wednesday, Interfax-Ukraine has learned from Vitaliy Lukyanenko, the press secretary of the Ukrainian premier.

Oettinger said that gas would play an important role in the energy supplies of Europe for the next 40 years.

He said he wanted to find a solution that would be a more successful business project than the South Stream. In this respect, there is no more expedient and reliable route than transit through Ukraine, Lukyanenko quoted Oetinnger as saying.

The commissioner also offered to hold a tripartite summit involving European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso, and high-level representatives from the Ukrainian and Russian governments.

"Such a meeting could clarify this issue indeed," the commissioner said at the meeting.

In turn, the Ukrainian prime minister told Oettinger that Ukraine wants to have guaranteed volumes of gas shipments through its territory, and wants to receive confirmation of these volumes, both from the EU and from Russia.

Azarov also said that Ukraine sees two priorities in its relations with Europe - the conclusion of an association agreements and a deal on the formation of a free trade zone without exemptions and limitations, in particular, on Ukrainian agricultural products.