KIEV, April 23 – Naftogaz Ukrayiny said that Gazprom is hampering the process of merging Ukraine's energy systems with those of its European Union neighbors, which could help start virtual reverse flows of natural gas.

"For years Gazprom's dominating position on the Ukrainian market and in several EU countries has been causing damage to Naftogaz. Now Gazprom is refusing to provide Naftogaz with information about shipping code pairs, thereby thwarting the process of merging Ukraine's energy systems with those of its European neighbors in accordance with the EU energy regulations. Such a merger would enable virtual reverse flows of natural gas (the so-called back-haul) between Ukraine, on one part, and Slovakia, Hungary, Poland and Romania, on the other," Naftogaz said in a statement released on Wednesday evening after the European Commission voiced its grievances to Gazprom.