OREANDA-NEWS. February 17, 2011. During working trip to the U.S. the Minister of Energy and Coal Industry of Ukraine Yuriy Boyko summarized the results of the second session of Ukrainian-American working group on energy security.

In his speech during the meeting Yuriy Boyko stressed the importance of active Ukrainian-American cooperation in energy and stressed that the results of the previous meeting of the Working Group are implemented in the Ukrainian-American project. "I note that the agreements reached during the first meeting being implemented in a number of joint projects", the Minister said.

Particular attention the Minister has paid to development of cooperation with the U.S. in the nuclear energy sector. "The Ukrainian side is interested in developing cooperation with the American side in the nuclear energy sector, including nuclear safety enhancing, lifetime extension of existing reactors, and cooperation on education and supplies of nuclear fuel and building capacities for storage of worked out fuel. At the same time I would like to emphasize that the Ukrainian side is interested in continuing projects of the U.S. International Nuclear Safety programme", Yuri Boyko said.

The Minister of Energy and Coal industry also noted that Ukraine is actively developing the international cooperation. In collaboration with the partners, Ukraine forms its energy policy on the principle of openness and transparency, and becomes member of the Energy Community, he said. "Ukraine's membership to the Energy Community should significantly deepen energy cooperation between Ukraine and the EU and strengthen the security of energy supplies to Ukraine and the EU. The entry of Ukraine into the EU internal energy market is the beginning of the actual implementation of the concept of sectoral integration of Ukraine into the EU, which is incorporated in a future Association Agreement", Yuri Boyko said.

In his speech, the Minister praised the success of the U.S. in exploration and extraction of gas from alternative sources and hopeв to step up cooperation with U.S. companies in this field in Ukraine. "The Ukrainian side takes measures to initiate cooperation with transnational corporations on development and production of unconventional gas in Ukraine. I would like to emphasize that we are interested in establishing cooperation in this sphere with the USA", the Minister stressed.

Yuri Boyko informed the American side on the steps of the Ukrainian government in the direction of diversification of sources of natural gas to Ukraine, including the decision to build an LNG terminal. He expressed interest in attracting U.S. companies to its construction. "Ukraine is interested in attracting American energy companies to collaborate in the project of building an LNG terminal", the Minister said.

He also expressed confidence to continue dialogue between Ukraine and the United States in frame of the Working Group to promote further development of cooperation and joint projects in the energy sector.