Ukraine calls premier's meeting with Gazprom CEO successful
MOSCOW. March 25 (Interfax) - Ukrainian Prime Minister Mykola Azarov met with Gazprom CEO Alexei Miller during his working trip to Moscow, Azarov's press secretary Vitaly Lukyanenko told Interfax.
Ukraine was represented in the meeting by Trade and Energy Minister Yuriy Boiko and Russia was represented by Gazprom deputy board chairman Alexander Medvedev and Kirill Zolotov, general director of OAO Gazpromtrubinvest, he said.
Lukyanenko reiterated that the meeting was constructive, adding that the Ukrainian prime minister is expected to have a meeting with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on Thursday.
Lukyanenko recalled Azarov's statement made earlier saying he would like to discuss with Putin a broad range of issues, paying special attention to the gas supply issue, but at the same time not limiting the meeting to it.
A source in the Ukrainian delegation told Interfax that "Kyiv has very serious proposals for its Russian partners on the modernization of the Ukrainian gas transport system because obviously there is not, and there will not be, a more effective and profitable gas supply route to Europe."
Interfax so far does not have information on the issues addressed in the meeting between Azarov and Miller.