Ukrainian PM Invites Qatar to Participate in LNG

Ukrainian Prime Minister Mykola Azarov has said that his country has invited Qatar to participate in a planned LNG terminal in Odessa. 

Following a meeting with Qatari Premier Sheikh Hamad bin Jassem al-Thani, Prime Minister Azarov confirmed that he had asked Qatar to participate in the construction of the €846 million liquefied natural gas terminal.

As part of the talks, a 20-year cooperation strategy deal was also decided upon, with Ukraine saying the plans for this deal are currently underway.

"We have agreed to develop a program of strategic partnership for 20 years," Prime Minister Azarov said yesterday. "Work on the program has actually been launched. The first stone in the foundation program becomes the work of bilateral working groups on energy and agriculture in Kiev in late May." 

The announcement follows a statement by Prime Minister Azarov earlier in the week that Ukraine was looking to Qatar for LNG supply.

"Ukraine is constantly working on the diversification of gas supplies and exploring the possibility of purchasing gas in Qatar," he told assembled journalists on Tuesday.

There could be no better country to supply the gas than Qatar given its experience, he added.

"We're very interested in cooperation with the state which accounts for a third of global output of liquefied natural gas."