Vitrenko: Unblocking transit through Ukraine is a legally binding condition for Nord Stream 2 certification

Unblocking access of European buyers to the purchase of Russian and Central Asian gas on the eastern border of Ukraine with a further independent booking of transit capacities is a legally binding condition for the certification of Nord Stream 2, Yurii Vitrenko, Chairman of the Board of the National Joint Stock Company Naftogaz of Ukraine said, the press service reports.

"It is a great diplomatic victory for Ukraine that the joint statement of the US and Germany contains a direct reference – Nord Stream 2 must correspond to the spirit and word of the EU's Third Energy Package, otherwise it cannot be certified, cannot really start working," he said.

Yurii Vitrenko recalled that the direct requirements of the Third Energy Package are the separation of the gas pipeline operator from the influences of Gazprom and Putin, as well as ensuring free access for buyers to purchase gas and subsequent booking of transit capacities (and this is possible only if a gas sale point is installed at the exit from the Russian gas transmission system – in Ust-Luga).

“What is essential for us: all this must be combined with the principle of solidarity laid down in the treaty establishing the EU. Just recently there was a decision by a European court, which indicated that the German regulator must apply this principle when certifying gas pipelines. When the German regulator certifies Nord Stream 2, it must also make sure that this pipeline will not be in a privileged position compared to others,” the Chairman of the Board of Naftogaz said.

Yurii Vitrenko stressed that ensuring free access only to the facilities of Nord Stream 2 without Russia's unblocking the Ukrainian transit route would be contrary to the principle of solidarity.

“It is impossible to provide access to third parties only to Nord Stream 2. Because then it will become just privileged in comparison with other gas pipelines going from Russia to Europe – for example, through Ukraine. The German regulator must not certify Nord Stream 2 until Russia unblocks the Ukrainian gas pipeline for third parties. So that European companies can receive gas at the Ukraine-Russia border and then independently book transit through Ukraine,” he said.

The Chairman of the Board of Naftogaz stressed that in international negotiations on Nord Stream 2, Ukraine does not ask for political guarantees, but requires firm implementation of the legislation.

“The Ukrainian strategy is not to ask for any guarantees and then rely on them. Because we have the sad experience of the Budapest Memorandum and, therefore, we do not believe in that. We all understand that Gazprom and Putin in Europe are trying to use the right of force, while our strength lies precisely in the legal validity of our position. There is a successful experience when we defeated Russia with the help of the force of law in the Stockholm arbitration. And just the strategy is to rely on the power of law in the future,” Yurii Vitrenko concluded.

To recap, PGNIG will not have the right to veto upon certification of Nord Stream 2.

As reported, the US House of Representatives approved sanctions against Nord Stream 2.

Tags: Gazprom, Naftogaz, contracts, Nord Stream 2, EU, Vitrenko, Ukraine, pipeline, Germany, gas supplies, volumes, natural gas

Read also

An Eye for an Eye: Ukrainian Power Engineers Demand Compensation from Russians for Destroyed Property
The Security Service of Ukraine issues suspicion notice to Russian billionaire for exporting raw materials for Rosatom from Ukraine.
ZELENSKY: Russian authorities are planning to blow up the Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant to destabilize Ukraine