The European Commission welcomedthe signature of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) enabling gas flows from Slovakia to Ukraine, which is set to take place this afternoon in Bratislava. José Manuel Barroso, President of the European Commission, will attend the ceremony together with Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico and Ukrainian Energy Minister Yuriy Prodan. The Commission acted as a facilitator in the negotiations that led to today’s breakthrough. Along with the MoU, the gas pipeline operators concerned – the Slovakian company Eustream and the Ukrainian company Ukrtransgaz – will sign a Framework Interconnection Agreement today, laying out the technical details of the foreseen solution.
José Manuel Barroso, President of the European Commission, said:“I warmly congratulate all parties involved on the breakthrough in the negotiations on gas flows from Slovakia to Ukraine. This is an important first step to diversify Ukraine’s sources of gas supply and contributes to greater energy security in Eastern Europe and the EU as a whole. It shows the EU's strong commitment in support of Ukraine's energy sector, which is also reflected in the economic and financial package the Union has swiftly provided for Ukraine in the past weeks. I would like to thank Energy Commissioner Oettinger and his team, who played a central role in paving the way for today’s agreement."
Günther Oettinger, Commissioner for Energy, said:“Today’s deal marks a milestone. It is a first step for gas flows from Slovakia to Ukraine and strengthens the ties between the EU’s energy market and Ukraine. Gas via Slovakia will bring a considerable addition to the volumes that Ukraine can already import from Hungary and Poland. Deliveries from EU Member States offer Ukraine access to gas priced on the basis of fair and transparent principles. It is important in this respect that Ukraine, particularly as a member of the Energy Community, makes swift progress in aligning its legal and regulatory framework with the EU energy legislation. This will increase investor’s confidence and help the country to modernise its energy sector.”