Ukrainian energy minister Yuriy Prodan said he and European Union energy chief Guenther Oettinger had reached an agreement to set up a consultative group for the control of the transit of natural gas from Russia to Europe through Ukraine.

"We want to be as transparent as possible in order to confirm that we are not taking away any of the gas," Prodan told reporters.

He said the group would consist of two Ukrainian and two EU representatives. He promised that experts would have access to all gas-measuring stations.