OREANDA-NEWS. On March 23, 2009 The Prime Minister of Ukraine Yulia Tymoshenko has signed a joint statement on the outcomes of the International Conference on Modernization of the Gas Transport System of Ukraine in Brussels.

The document was also signed by Eurocommissioner for the External Relations and European Neighbourhood Policy Benita Ferrero-Waldner, Eurocommissioner for Energy Andris Piebalgs, President of the European Investment Bank Philippe Maystadt, First Vice President of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development Varel Freeman, Director of the World Bank for Ukraine, Belarus and Moldova Martin Raiser.

The ceremony of signing was held in the presence of the President of Ukraine Viktor Yushchenko and President of the European Commission Jose Manuel Barroso.

As Yulia Tymoshenko announced in her address to the conference, this instrument creates all necessary political-organizational prerequisites aimed at launch of a complex and large-scale process of reforming of the gas transport system of Ukraine.

According to the Premier, the joint statement clearly fixes that Ukrainian GTS has been and will remain the state property of Ukraine.

The Head of Government stressed the document also proves the trust to the Ukrainian GTS which is viewed as a reliable system of transit of gas to the European consumers and, in fact, will cease any rumours with regards to the unreliability of gas transport system of Ukraine.

“The statement and our work are a proof of mutual striving of the parties to further cooperation in the context of harmonization of standards of functioning of the GTS and whole energy sector of Ukraine with the European standards,” Yulia Tymoshenko accentuated.

The Prime Minister added the signed documents and the conference itself are creating prerequisites for the gradual integration of Ukraine into internal energy market of the EU and facilitating energy community membership.