Ukraine Wants EU, Russian Help To Upgrade Gas Pipeline Network

Ukraine's First Deputy Prime Minister Andriy Klyuyev said today his country wants a joint Russian-EU consortium to be created to help upgrade and modernize Ukraine's natural-gas pipeline network.

The pipeline system is badly in need of upgrading, but many in Ukraine are against allowing Russian companies to acquire a huge stake in any consortium that would undertake the work.

Klyuyev made clear that "the gas pipelines will remain the property of the state," and expressed confidence that "we will be able to attract EU resources to reconstruct them."

Ukraine's new president, Viktor Yanukovych, said during his campaign that he wanted a consortium of Russia's Gazprom, Ukraine's Naftogaz, and European energy companies to run the pipeline network.

compiled from agency reports