WASHINGTON, Oct. 29 (UPI) -- The U.S. and Ukrainian governments announced the creation of a bilateral energy security working group to strengthen energy security for Ukraine and Europe.
Richard Morningstar, the U.S. special envoy for Eurasian energy, and Sergei Pavlusha, the Ukrainian deputy minister of fuel and energy, co-chair the group that held its inaugural session Wednesday, the U.S. State Department said.
Both sides discussed bilateral cooperation to work toward energy security in Ukraine and in Europe.
A January row between Kiev and Moscow over gas debts and contracts exposed vulnerabilities in the European energy sector. More than 80 percent of all Russian gas bound for Europe travels through Soviet-era pipelines in Ukraine.
That row left European customers in the cold for weeks, prompting an urgent push to diversify the regional energy sector.
The State Department said the bilateral meeting focused on promoting U.S. technical assistance for Ukrainian reforms in the municipal heating sector and energy efficiency.
Both sides also discussed private sector energy development and cooperation on nuclear power for Ukraine.
