Council of Energy Security Experts to be established at NSDC

The Council of Energy Security Experts will be established at the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine.
“The Council of Energy Security Experts will operate as an advisory body and resolve energy security issues. A draft regulation of this Council is already being elaborated and working groups on energy policy areas have been established,” Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine Oleksiy Danilov said at the meeting of the working group on countering threats in the oil and gas and energy spheres, the NSDC press service reports.

According to the NSDC Secretary, an important task for the authorities is to maintain Ukraine's position as a leading gas transit state.

"Maximum volumes of gas should flow through our facilities," Danilov said adding that in this context, the stance of the international community on the construction of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline is crucial.

In turn, CEO of Naftogaz of Ukraine Kobolyev assured that Ukraine had accumulated sufficient volumes of natural gas in underground storage facilities and was fully supplied with gas for the winter period.

In addition, considering the issues of security of the energy market of Ukraine, the NSDC Secretary emphasized the need to ensure the physical and cyber security of critical infrastructure.

"Our critical energy infrastructure must be fully protected not only from physical threats but also from potential cyberattacks. Moreover, this segment should not suffer after the final unbundling of Naftogaz," he said.

During the meeting of the working group on countering threats in the energy sphere, the NSDC Secretary emphasized the importance of creating the energy balance by our state and developing the national energy system under European standards. "Our main task is to join single European energy system with the Ukrainian energy system," he pointed out.