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Former Ukrtransgaz president: â€œRussia-Azerbaijan gas deal is rated for reducing tensions in the relationsâ€

01 July 2009 10:42 (UTC +04:00)

Kiev. Victoria Dementyeva â€“ APA. â€œRussia-Azerbaijan gas deal is rated for reducing of tensions in the relationsâ€, Kiev International Energy Club expert, former president of Ukrtransgaz Company Alexander Todiychuk told journalists, APA correspondent reports from Kiev. He said signing of gas deal between the two countries aimed to blow off team of tensions. â€œNagorno Karabakh conflict also has an impact on this issue. I consider that the deal was signed as a commitment because it needs not to forget the Nagorno Karabakh conflictâ€.

Regarding the Azerbaijanâ€™s energy policy, the Ukrainian experts said Azerbaijan demonstrated its ability to participate simultaneously in various energy projects. â€œPresident Ilham Aliyev pursues the policy of diversification of the energy sources. He demonstrates readiness to replace Russian gas with Azerbaijani gas in the countries like Bulgaria, which imported natural gas from Russia. Therefore Azerbaijanâ€™s joining to Nabucco project will make it realâ€.

The expert expressed his opinion about the Odessa-Brody project too. â€œOdessa-Brody project was not realized yet because Russian president considers is as a precedent. This project is indication of the Ukraineâ€™s potential to realize large projects. While being Ukrtransgaz president in 2004 I signed an agreement to use Odessa-Brody pipeline in obverse regime, but then TNK-BP decided to use in reverse regime. It is not useful to use the pipeline in reverse regime because oil transportation via the pipeline is expensive. Odessa-Brody pipeline is not operating in obverse regime just because of political reasonsâ€.