By Martin Banks - 25th February 2009
Something has to be done to ensure there is no repeat of the energy dispute
Yuriy Boyko
The man tipped to be the next prime minister of Ukraine has urged the EU to "play its role" in ensuring there is no repeat of this winter's gas dispute between Kiev and Russia.
Yuriy Boyko was speaking after a breakfast meeting in the commission on Tuesday with EU energy commissioner Andris Piebalgs.
He told this website that, despite the dispute which saw supplies cut off to some European countries, Ukraine would continue to be a "reliable" transit route for EU energy supply.
But he added, "Something has to be done, and preferably by the summer, to ensure there is no repeat of the energy dispute.
"I made it clear to the commissioner that the EU has an important role to play here and the impression I got was that he is keen to do all he can to help prevent further disruption to supplies."
Boyko is a former energy minister in Ukraine and now, as an opposition MP, is deputy chairman of the Ukrainian parliament's energy resources committee.
He is also chairman for the federation of employers of Ukraine which represents 40,000 companies, employing some four million people.
During his visit to Brussels today he will also meet representatives of BusinessEurope and the European economic social committee.
Boyko, a former chairman of Naftogaz Ukraine, the country's largest company, also called for EU funding to enable the federation to develop a business support package in connection with the country's ongoing negotiations on establishing an EU-Ukraine free trade agreement.
He said the federation, the leading social partner organisation in Ukraine, had a "crucial" role to play in advising the Ukraine government on the conduct of the negotiations.
"For the agreement to be successful, there will have to be changes to legislation in Ukraine. The federation hopes that there will be some EU funding to enable us to help businesses in the country adapt the EU standards and comply with changes to legislation."
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