Ukraine plans to prepare a tender by the end of the year to attract European and U.S. partners to manage its gas transport system (GTS) and underground gas storage facilities, Ukrainian Energy and Coal Industry Minister Yuriy Prodan has said.

"We are speeding up this work [on preparations for the tender]. We are currently working on the division of the main gas pipelines and underground storage facilities into two companies... I think we would like [to complete preparations for the tender] by the next year," he told reporters in Kyiv on Tuesday.

Prodan added that in early September the Energy and Coal Industry Ministry plans to hold a roundtable meeting or conference to present to European and U.S. colleagues the plans on reforming the management of the gas transport system as part of the event. The ministry expects to hear comments and suggestions that may affect preparations for the tender.