Brussels, 21/11/2006 (Agence Europe) - Participating at the forum on external energy policy on Tuesday in Brussels, the Ukrainian minister for energy, Yuri Boyko, and Gazprom export director, Alexander Medvedev, both gave guarantees to provide the EU's energy supplies this winter and in the longer term. The Russian gas giant Gazprom is prepared to ensure its gas supplies until 2020, indicated Medvedev to journalists at the conference, underlining that any fear of gas shortages this winter or in 2020 were “unfounded”. Refuting the hypothesis put out by the International Energy Agency (IEA) that there was insufficient upstream investment in Russia, which threatened Gazprom's ability to respect its future export commitments, Medvedev affirmed that, “There is no danger of a gas deficit. It's enough gas to meet both local demand and eternal market obligations. We have a programme to meet this demand. And this programme is accompanied by an adequate investment plan”. Yuri Boyko, Ukrainian energy minister, provided assurances about the energy security of his country and explained that the EU's energy security was important to Kiev. He highlighted efforts made by Kiev to make gas transit to the Community market secure and stressed that, “We have increased our gas reserves to 25 billion cubic metres and our transit system will be strengthened in 2007”. He also mentioned a Ukrainian gas infrastructure modernisation programme worth $500 million. (eh)