Yulia Tymoshenko whose government was dismissed...

Yanukovych, who narrowly won the February 7 presidential election runoff in the ex-Soviet state over Tymoshenko, does not rule out that a gas transportation consortium could be established by Ukraine, Russia and the European Union.

"Establishment of a gas transportation consortium means giving away our strategic facility that costs at least $150 billion," Tymoshenko said on the Ukraina TV channel Friday, adding that the gas transportation system should remain under state control.

Ukraine"s gas transportation system is Europe"s second largest gas pipeline network and the main route for Russian natural gas supplies to European consumers. Back in early 2000s, Kiev and Moscow discussed the possibility of creating a gas transport consortium with the involvement of European partners to manage and modernize Ukraine"s Soviet-era gas pipeline network.

However, when West-leaning President Viktor Yushchenko came to power in Ukraine as a result of the "orange revolution"

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