Ukraine asked the Europeans credit for upgrading the transmission system.

Secretariat of the Ukrainian president intends to ask for 4.6 billion dollars to modernize the Ukrainian gas transport system (GTS) of the European gas companies. This writes the newspaper Kommersant - Ukraina.
The publication writes that such a proposal Ukrainian delegation intends to appeal to European companies in Brussels on 23 March at the conference, the Secretariat of President of Ukraine will conduct jointly with the European Commission.
The secretariat Viktor Yushchenko stressed that the direct management of the TCU it is not.
GTS of Ukraine belongs to the State and managed by "Ukrtransgaz", affiliated company NAK Naftogaz Ukrainy. In particular, it includes 37.5 thousand kilometers of gas pipelines and 13 underground gas storage facilities. TCU is now upgrading Naftogaz "and authorized the modernization of the program for 2007-2010 provides for investments to 4.8 billion dollars. However, in 2007-2008 was spent on the upgrading of less than 10 percent of the planned amount.
The newspaper notes that the European gas industry can agree prokreditovat upgrading the GTS, but in terms of ownership or control system. Previously, this has already claimed the German EON Ruhrgas, the Italian ENI and the French Gas de France, but the Ukrainian authorities declared the inadmissibility of such cooperation.
It is also worth noting that in March the Ministry of Economy of Ukraine and the Japanese Sumitomo Corporation have signed a memorandum under which Sumitomo was prepared to consider providing a loan for the modernization of the GTS with no additional requirements. Negotiations on the Cabinet has since May 2008.
In February 2009, at Yushchenko's secretariat said that the Ukrainian GTS is worth, according to the most minimal estimates, 25 billion euros.
Earlier, Russian media reported that the negotiations with Ukraine on the establishment of the consortium, which will be transferred to the management of the Ukrainian GTS, led Gazprom. However, "Naftogaz" later said that did not lead such negotiations with the Russian concern.
During the Russian-Ukrainian gas conflict in early 2009, Prime Minister of Russia Vladimir Putin has argued that the Russian side is interested in the privatization of the transmission system of Ukraine, where local officials will agree to this step.
Recall that Ukraine is now trying to get a loan from Russia to five billion dollars, which, if it is granted the Russian side, will go to pay for gas purchases "Naftohaz" for Gazprom. Earlier, Ukraine was also received from the International Monetary Fund for a stabilization loan to 16.5 billion dollars. The country has already transferred the first tranche of the loan and now she is preparing to receive a second.