Former Regional Development and Construction Minister Vasyl Kuibida has said he believes that former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko's decision to issue directives to Naftogaz Ukrainy and the concerned ministry amid the gas crisis in early 2009 was proper.
While providing testimony at a meeting of Kyiv's Pechersky District Court on the Russian gas supply contract case on Tuesday, Kuibida said that Naftogaz, as a separate business entity, conducted independent foreign economic activities and that "the government and the ministry have the right to formulate agreements."
Therefore, he said, the Cabinet of Ministers could issue respective directives to Naftogaz.
Kuibida noted that none of the legislative acts envisaged the form of such directives.
"Directives could be issued or not. Another thing is the context," he said.
He recalled that in January 2009, European countries "exerted pressure on Ukraine" and that the local authorities and all Ukrainians were concerned about the gas conflict.
"It is clear that in this situation it was not only an economic issue, but it also acquired political significance. These directives had to be issued, because the political and economic situation was very complex… In this situation, obviously, such directives had to be formulated, taking into account the complex situation," Kuibida said.
