Ukraine invites Germany to take part in an international consortium to manage its gas transport system (GTS), but only if the waiver of the “Nord stream-2”, said President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko on Monday.
“We are creating a group in the European Union, which should stop the “Nord stream-2″. That is why we are negotiating with Germany. Invite them to create an international consortium to manage the state gas transportation system of Ukraine”, – said the head of state. However, he added that “the condition of participation of Germany is to stop the “Nord stream-2”.
According to Poroshenko, quoted by TASS, to participate in the process of creating a consortium “partners of the USA also are determined”.
The Ukrainian President reiterated that “Nord stream-2” is directed against Ukraine. He is convinced that this project “is trying to take from the budget of Ukraine to almost $3 billion.”
To retain the capacity of the Ukrainian GTS, earlier, the Ukrainian government stated the need to create a gas transport consortium with the involvement of major international partner in its management. At the same time, according to the leader of the public movement “the Ukrainian choice – the right of the people”, Viktor Medvedchuk, such a consortium can be created only with the compulsory participation of Russia. Ukraine has no alternative to Russian gas, and managers of the Ukrainian GTS, you still have to negotiate with Russia on gas transit through the territory of Ukraine, he said.
“Nord stream-2” involves the construction of two pipelines with a total capacity of 55 billion cubic meters of gas per year from the coast of Russia through the Baltic sea to Germany. The pipeline will bypass transit States – Ukraine, Belarus, Poland and other Eastern European and Baltic countries exclusive economic zones and territorial waters of five countries – Russia, Finland, Sweden, Denmark and Germany.
The total project cost is estimated at €9.5 billion, the Commissioning of the “Nord stream-2” is scheduled for late 2019, the Sole shareholder of Nord Stream AG 2 is “Gazprom”. The European partners “Gazprom” under the project are Uniper and German Wintershall, Austrian OMV, French Engie and Anglo-Dutch Shell.
In Germany and Finland, Nord Stream AG 2 also already got a full set of permits for the construction and operation of the pipeline.
