The US and the EU support energy reforms in Ukraine
The USA, the EU and Canada will work closely with Ukraine towards its gradual integration into the European energy market.
The Unites States of America and the European Union expressed support for energy reforms in Ukraine and strongly opposed the use of energy resources as weapons in the political arena. This was outlined in the joint statement of the USA and the EU following the meeting of the Council on Energy that took place on May 4, 2016, Deutsche Welle reported.
The United States Secretary of State, John Kerry, and the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Federica Mogherini, were Co-Chairs of the meeting. In the final statement, special emphasis was given to the energy security of the EU.
For this purpose, Council participants will search for new suppliers and different energy resource supply routes. The Council noted Ukraine’s important role in the transit of natural gas to the European Union.
The USA, the EU and Canada intend to work with Ukraine to make a contingency plan for winter and also to develop the number of events for improving the country’s energy security. Price correction for the sources of energy, progress in unbundling of the State Oil and Gas Company Naftogaz Ukrainy, the creation of an independent regulator and the Electricity Market Law and other energy reforms implemented by Ukraine were supported by the participants of the meeting.
According to the participants, the process of integration into the European energy market is going well in Ukraine. The Council noted that the Southern Gas Corridor will play a crucial role in alternative gas supplies to Central and South-East Europe, including the construction of a Trans Adriatic gas pipeline, Bulgaria-Greece pipeline and the LNG (liquefied natural gas) terminals in Croatia.
Ten billion cubic meters of Azerbaijani gas are planned to be transported through the Southern Gas Corridor from the Caspian region to Europe via Georgia and Turkey. Earlier, Kerry stated that it was the first time that Ukraine received more gas from Europe than from Russia.