Timoshenko calls for keeping gas pipelines in state property

KIEV, January 11 (Itar-Tass) -- Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia
Timoshenko calls for keeping the trunk gas pipelines in state property.
She has made a statement in an interview with the 5th television channel
on Sunday. The premier also supports the use of the Ukrainian language as
the common state one with the language rights of national minorities
preserved.
Timoshenko recalled that upon the initiative of her bloc the
parliament endorsed the law on the ban to privatize the gas transportation
system or to create consortiums on its base. "Until I am alive I will not
allow anyone to claim for it (the gas transportation system)," the premier
said. She reiterated that the gas prices for the population and the
industry would not change as of January 1.
Timoshenko repeated her forecast on a stronger hrivna exchange rate
after the presidential elections. "If the policy of the national bank is
implemented correctly, the exchange rate will be a little bit higher than
six hrivnas per dollar (currently the exchange rate reaches eight hrivnas
per dollar)," she believes.
The prime minister recalled that the devaluation of the Ukrainian
currency was the most drastic in the world and was not conditioned by the
objective reasons.

-0-baz