From July 2016, in accordance with the requirements of the EU Third Energy Package and the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine Resolution No. 496 of July 1, 2016, the process of unbundling activities on transportation and storage of natural gas from the Naftogaz of Ukraine National Joint-Stock Company is underway.

Implementing unbundling process, the Government of Ukraine established a public joint stock company Main Gas Pipelines of Ukraine (PJSC MGU), a legal entity that would be a new operator of the gas transmission system certified in accordance with Article 10 of the Directive 2009/73/EC concerning common rules for the internal market in natural gas.

In order to ensure effective operation and management of the Ukrainian gas transmission system, the Government is considering engaging one or more partners of MGU which will meet the requirements of Article 21 of the Law of Ukraine "On the Natural Gas Market" (hereinafter referred to as GTS partners).

By this call of interest and in accordance with paragraph 1 of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine Resolution 1005 of December 13, 2017, we invite potential GTS partners to the preliminary consultations with the aim to discuss conditions of a would-be contest to select partner/s for PJSC MGU.

The following information is expected from the interested potential GTS partners:

a) compliance with requirements, as defined in Article 21 of the Law of Ukraine "On the Gas Market", as well as a summary description of the activities carried out by the concerned company/companies, whether alone or in consortium;

b) an overview of the shareholders’ structure and details of the control structure of the company/companies expressing interest, including indication of the final beneficiaries;

c) key economic and financial indicators of the interested company/companies over last three years;

d) specification of the skills and key relevant experience carried out by the eligible company/companies in the gas transmission sector, including experience in operating in the regulatory environment of the Third Energy Package;

e) technical characteristics of the gas transportation system currently under control of the potential partner;

f) expected conditions of the contest, as well as the model of a would-be joint operation and management of MGU.

Preliminary consultations, including the exchange of information, are not legally binding on their parties, and are intended solely to formulating recommendations in respect of conditions of the contest.

In this regard, we inform that the process of preliminary consultations will be carried out by the Government of Ukraine, represented by the Ministry of Energy and Coal Industry, as well as a working group formed in accordance with the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine Resolution 1005 of December 13, 2017.

Eligible companies interested in this Call may send their further inquiries and submit their expression of interest by not later than 1 February 2018 by email on the following address [partnerGTS@mev.gov.ua

            Dedicated e-mail address of UA Ministry of Energy and Coal Industry], [[ENER-GTS-PARTNER@ec.europa.eu- Dedicated e-mail of DG ENER], indicating “Expression of Interest – GTS Partner” in the subject.

On completion processing expressions of interest, consultations with each potential GTS partner will be announced in advance and held.

For additional information please contact Mr. Olexander Lisnichenko, Director of Oil and Gas Complex Department of the Ministry of Energy and Coal Industry of Ukraine [dedicated e-mail address: partnerGTS@mev.gov.ua