The Financial Times

GAZPROM 'COMMITTED AN ACT OF TECHNOLOGICAL AGGRESSION'

 Published: February 11 2009

From Viacheslav Kniazhnytskyi.

Sir, Last month Gazprom launched a massive and aggressive misinformation
campaign against Ukraine. After the conclusion of the Ukraine-Russia gas
deal, I had hoped that this propaganda war was over. Therefore I was
surprised to read in your newspaper ("Russia denies Ukraine gas system
move
<http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/c4dc11f0-f230-11dd-9678-0000779fd2ac.html> ",
February 4) groundless allegations about Ukraine's gas transport system
(GTS).

Surely, Vladimir Chizhov, the Russian ambassador to the European Union,
was aware of the European Commission's Technical Assistance to the
Commonwealth of Independent States programme conclusions, published in
2007, that the Ukrainian GTS was in a satisfactory technical condition?
Surely, Mr Chizhov was aware of the official data of the Russian and
Ukrainian ministries of emergencies: while Ukraine had three accidents
in its transit pipeline network, the biggest in Europe, in 2006 and one
in 2007, Russia had 37 in 2006 and 43 in 2007. Is Mr Chizhov really in
any position to make expert statements on Ukrainian GTS reliability?

My point is that Ukraine is conscious that its GTS, like any other
continental infrastructure facility, needs ongoing modernisation. To
this end we are investing our own resources as well as co-operating with
interested parties to ensure upgrading of our GTS and improve its
security. On March 23 we will host a special investment conference in
Brussels devoted to this topic.

The recent crisis proved that our security and efficiency systems were
reliable and operational. Moreover, its operation in the crisis
environment revealed additional potential in terms of its
sustainability.

By cutting gas off and attempting to place Ukrainian operators in breach
of operational procedures, Gazprom committed an act of technological
aggression. Its ploy did not work because Ukraine has modernised the
system and was able to continue operating.

Europe needs co-operation, not accusations.

Viacheslav Kniazhnytskyi,
Counsellor on Energy Issues,
Mission of Ukraine to the European Union