President of Oil and Gas Association: SOCAR positively influences changes in Ukraine's investment climate

Kyiv. 23 October. REPORT.AZ/ The SOCAR Energy Ukraine positively influences changes and development of the investment climate in Ukraine.

The President of Oil and Gas Association of Ukraine Dmitry Kulik told the Ukraine bureau of Report News Agency.

According to him, today the investment climate in Ukraine is unfavorable for foreign companies that work in the country and adhere to principles of transparency.

"SOCAR, as one of the most active participants of the Oil and Gas Association of Ukraine, takes important steps to develop comfortable conditions for the functioning of oil and gas market. In particular, SOCAR Energy Ukraine has actively participated in the liquidation of illegal oil-gas business in Kyiv", Kulik said.

According to him, representatives of the company are always attending the meetings, actively participating in the working groups of the association, they are taking initiatives to simplify the business.

"For example, there is order 156 of the Ministry of Infrastructure, which has obliged consignors and consignees to obtain a license for transportation of dangerous goods. The question of the appropriateness of this order in the association was raised by Head of the Legal Affairs Department of the SOCAR Energy Ukraine, Mikhail Tretyakov. From myself I will say that despite the good intentions of the Ministry of Infrastructure, the process looked like “provision of tickets" to business. The position that Mikhail has expressed, was supported by the members of our association. We began to deal with this issue. As a result, the State Regulatory Service and the Ministry of Economic Development and Trade sent an order to the Ministry of Infrastructure that the ministry should either change the wording of the order, or this document will lose its legal force", he added.

The head of the Oil and Gas Association noted that the main criteria for the company to enter the association are compliance with legislation, market leadership, reputation. At present, the Oil and Gas Association includes 13 Ukrainian and foreign companies, which are not only among the leaders of the Ukrainian oil and gas market, but also adhere to the principles of decency and transparency.