( Interfax ) - Ukrainian Economy Minister Anatoliy Kinakh believes Ukraine should purchase natural gas directly from its producers - Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan.
"Unfortunately, the current situation is such that Ukraine has lost direct gas relations with Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. We have actually handed this business over to economic entities," the Economy Ministry's press service quoted Kinakh as saying.
The level of national energy security in 2006 slightly dropped, which is "inadmissible", he said.
"Back in 2000-2002 we signed corresponding agreements with the Russian government, in which our mutual obligations were distinctly formulated: Ukraine guarantees uninterrupted transit of Russian gas to Europe, while Russia guarantees a balance of Ukraine's natural gas and access to Central Asian gas resources," the minister said.