President presides over energy meeting

Victor Yushchenko presided over a meeting to formulate ways to solve energy problems, the President's press office reported.

Prime Minister Yuriy Yekhanurov, Foreign Minister Borys Tarasyuk, Energy Minister Ivan Plachkov, NSDCU Secretary Anatoly Kinakh, Naftogaz Chairman Oleksiy Ivchenko, First Deputy Secretariat Chief-of-Staff Ivan Vasyunyk, and Deputy Secretariat Chief-of-Staff Anatoly Matviyenko were present at the meeting.

Plachkov informed those present of recent Ukrainian-Turkmen gas talks. He claimed that they were quite constructive and would help reach a new level in bilateral energy relations between the two countries.

Then they discussed Ukraine’s arguments at complicated gas negotiations between Ukraine and Russia. The participants of the meeting also considered practical means to gradually change the terms of gas transit and delivery and agreed it was necessary to introduce new approaches to the use of gas depots in Ukraine and to diversify energy sources.