Ukraine wants to attract U.S. investments in its energy sector, including the modernization of its gas transportation system, the Ukrainian foreign minister said on Friday during a meeting with the U.S. secretary of state.
"Today, we agreed to intensify effort in order to attract U.S. experience and investment into our energy sector," Kostyantyn Hryshchenko said after a meeting with Hillary Clinton.
He said that modernization of Ukraine's dilapidated gas transportation system and fuel production were priorities.
Ukraine earlier discussed the issue of modernizing its Soviet-era gas transit system with the Russian energy giant Gazprom, but the sides have not yet come to an agreement. Gazprom CEO Alexei Miller said the Russian energy giant may fund the modernization if Ukraine's gas company Naftogaz merges with Gazprom.
Ukraine's gas pipeline system, which stretches over 37,500 kilometers (23,300 miles), includes 71 booster stations and 13 underground gas storage units of 32 billion cubic meters. The system pumps 141 billion cubic meters of gas to Europe annually.
"We also discussed our cooperation in diversifying nuclear fuel supplies for Ukrainian nuclear power plants, and enhancing security of reactors in operation," the minister said.
The Nuclear Energy Institute puts Ukraine in its top five countries accounting for the largest percentage of generated nuclear energy. Almost half of the country's energy output comes from NPPs.
Hillary Clinton arrived to Kiev early on Friday as part of her five-nation tour of Eastern Europe and the Caucasus. The U.S. top diplomat will meet with President Viktor Yanukovych later in the day.
