OREANDA-NEWS. April 10, 2008. Fuel and Energy Minister Yuriy Prodan knows nothing about registration of Gazpromsbyt-Ukraine, a Gazprom subsidiary, which was reported by Delo and Kommersant-Ukraine newspapers.

"I know nothing about it. The Fuel and Energy Ministry does not have the function to monitor registration of companies in Ukraine," he said.

As Prodan noted, if the structure is registered, it should apply for the respective license to the National Electricity Regulatory Commission in the near future.

Yuriy Prodan also said that the talks on gas supplies to Ukraine with Gazprom continue, but failed to say when the negotiations will be finished.

According to the Delo newspaper, Russia's Gazprom is creating its subsidiary Gazprom-Ukraine. The corresponding agreement was reached during the Russian-Ukrainian gas talks. As the newspaper reported, already this week the National Electricity Regulatory Commission will consider licensing the company for gas sales on the domestic market of Ukraine.

The Kommersant-Ukraine newspaper said that the new structure will employ the entire crew of CJSC UkrGaz-Energo (50% belongs of Naftogaz of Ukraine and 50% to RosUkrEnergo, the half of which also belongs to Gazprom). The new company will be managed not by UkrGaz-Energo head Ihor Voronin, "but a Gazprom man from Moscow," the newspaper reported.

Gazprom's direct access to the domestic gas market of Ukraine was one of the key terms in regulation of the gas conflict between Moscow and Kyiv.

"A partner of Naftogaz will be created in Ukraine, and we'll pay this company for the consumed gas. This will automatically remove all ungrounded accusations of Ukrainian debts," Delo cited Fuel and Energy Advisor to the Prime Minister Oleksa Hudyma.