Tymoshenko accuses Yushchenko of yielding national interests of Ukraine

Prime Minister of Ukraine Yulia Tymoshenko does not rule out that President of Ukraine Victor Yushchenko was provided with inadequate information about conditions of transferring the right on the Black Sea Shelf exploration.

According to an UNIAN correspondent, Yulia Tymoshenko claimed this to a news conference in the Cabinet of Ministers today.

“I do regret that the President, in fact, supported these actions – the shelves were transferred with his permission, that is why, frankly speaking, I do not know how he will respond to that now. Probably, he was not provided with the real information about the shelves, and, probably, he still does not know how it happens in the world”, Yulia Tymoshenko said.

At the same time, the Prime Minister expressed a belief that before making decision to sign the agreement on transferring the right on the Black Sea shelf exploration, the Head of State “should have studied the world experience and should not have yielded the national interests of Ukraine”.

Yulia Tymoshenko stressed that the agreement was signed in presence of President of Ukraine Victor Yushchenko. “He was personally present at signing, and he personally initiated these things. Everything took place on instruction of the President and contrary to interests of Ukraine. I believe that, sooner or later, but the civil society must give its estimate to these actions. I’m not the only one citizen of Ukraine. There are many people, ready to defend Ukraine. That is why, let us call things by their right names. If the matter concerns future and the strategy of Ukraine, its political and energy independence, and if higher officials neglect Ukrainian interests to that extent – it must be a question to the parliament and the National Security and Defense Council”, she said.

“We should defend national interests of Ukraine in the exploration of the Black Sea and Azov shelves. I know, there will be a colossal resistance to the government’s decision to cancel the license. I know, now they will tighten a death grip of Ukraine, to prevent returning [the shelves] to Ukraine. We, being the government’s team, will defend Ukraine and its national interests by all possible ways”, the Prime Minister said.

“The situations with shelves is RosUkrEnergo-2, and even worse”, said the Prime Minister, adding that she regrets that actions of corrupt Ukrainian officials forced the country to struggle for its own shelves and fields, which were “illegally and unfairly stolen”.