OREANDA-NEWS. On January 14, 2009 Minister of Fuel and Energy Yurii Prodan sent a letter to European Energy Commissioner Andris Piebalgs about the necessity to sign a temporary technical agreement on transit of gas to Europe. He announced that during a briefing at the Cabinet of Ministers.

Yurii Prodan imparted in the situation with gas shipments to Europe we should at fastest sign Temporary technical agreement which contains propositions concerning immediate resuming of transit of gas to the European states, in particular, solving of issue of providing by Russia with process gas necessary for transit.

“We clearly determined in the letter which directions have to be open technologically in order to make possible transit of gas to the European states, we asked Eurocommissioner to facilitate in the issue of process gas which hampers transition,” the Minister informed. He added Ukraine can not use as process the gas of own production as legislation envisages it ought to go exceptionally to the needs of population.

According to him, the letter also contains the demand for the European experts deployed in Ukraine to provide with objective information about gas issues.

The Chief Executive of the Naftogaz of Ukraine NJSC Oleh Dubyna also announced at the briefing that the Temporary technical agreement envisages conditions of operation of gas transport system for a month. “We can not trigger today the system for small amounts and for an unfixed period. I have to anticipate the life for at least one month, then we can plan something and somehow rebuild the work of Ukrainian GTS,” O.Dubyna explained.

The Head of Naftogaz of Ukraine also informed Gazprom had submitted the similar order for transit as yesterday, without changes in the transporting route. Transit along such direction will leave 4 regions of Ukraine without gas, that’s why Naftogaz of Ukraine, like it was yesterday, has rejected transporting Russian gas through Sudzha point.