Ukraine PM claims EU not ready for natural gas consortium

Prime Minister of Ukraine Mykola Azarov held a March 19 press conference to present the state program for economic development in 2013-14, which he dubbed “a plan for the country’s new industrialization.” He said he will sign a resolution to begin implementing the program, reported the Kommersant-Ukrayina newspaper. Regarding the Customs Union, Azarov said Ukraine is interested in gaining observer status. “We’ll create a Customs Union delegation and our representative will participate in decision-making with an advisory voice,” Azarov said. “That way, we won’t be taken by surprise. Ukraine will know ahead of time about any decisions reached.” Regarding a natural gas consortium, Azarov said the Russian and Ukrainian governments are ready but the European Union isn’t. “We’ve been talking about this for three years,” he said. “How long do we have to wait?”

Zenon Zawada: Azarov’s comments reflect the government’s foreign policy strategy of playing Russia and the EU off each other, while buying time in negotiations with both of them. Ukraine is already an observer at the Common Economic Space and a corresponding status at the Customs Union won’t enable the Ukrainian government to influence decision-making. Meanwhile, EU Energy Commissioner Gunther Oettinger has already expressed the EU government’s willingness to become an arbiter in creating a consortium with European gas firms, as Kommersant reported. The Azarov government has been testing the patience of both governments in its strategy, but so far it’s been working.