Ukraine has all chances for the rapid creation of the gas hub with Turkey, Advisor to the Minister of Energy and Coal Industry of Ukraine Maksim Belyavsky said to UNN.

"The prospect of cooperation between Ukraine and Turkey in the gas issue looks more than promising. Firstly, it is the cooperation in real diversification of imported gas supplies to Ukraine until full implementation of the program of 27 billion cubic meters by 2020. Secondly, this cooperation in gas storage in Ukrainian gas storage facilities", Belyavsky said.

According to him, Turkey's interest in Ukrainian capacities is explained by the fact that with annual gas consumption of over 45 billion cubic meters, the capacity of gas storage facilities is only 3 billion cubic meters.

"The technical project on the start of reverse supplies has been worked out in Ukrtransgaz since 2012. The most realistic scenario of its implementation, in my opinion, is a virtual reverse", he said.

At the same time, Belyavsky added that in general, in the Balkan direction, Ukraine has a surplus of actual capacity at the level of 30 million cubic meters per day, which is comparable with half of the daily gas production in Ukraine.

"Today, the procedure on studying demand for reverse capacities at Orlovka gas measuring station (on the border with Romania), which is in the Odessa region, has started and I expect that there will be many interested traders in reserving gas transmission capacities," the adviser to the minister said.

According to him, it is especially important to implement the project on launching reverse gas supplies from Romania through the existing surplus of natural gas production in this country and the shortage of capacities for its storage.

"The cooperation will happen. Especially, Ukraine and Turkey have a history of success in the gas issue, in particular, we have experience of cooperation in the use of GTS". In 1997, Gastransit was set up; it was founded by Ukrgazprom (Naftogaz of Ukraine) and Gazprom - they own 40% of this structure, Turkish Turusgaz owns almost 20%. And, therefore, with the existing economic solution from Turkey, the process of creating a Turkish-Ukrainian gas hub can be implemented very soon", Beliavsky said.

In addition, he noted that the invitation, received by Ukraine from Azerbaijan, is a diplomatic signal about their readiness for beginning of the practical implementation of cooperation.

As UNN reported, Azerbaijan invited Ukraine to join the "Southern Gas Corridor" project, through which the gas will be supplied from Azerbaijan to EU countries.

We would like to add that the project of the Southern Gas Corridor includes construction of the Trans-Anatolian Gas Pipeline (TANAP) in Turkey, through which the gas will be supplied to EU countries, bypassing Russia and which was put into operation on June 12.

President Petro Poroshenko said that Ukraine will receive gas through TANAP gas pipeline from Bulgaria and Romania.