KYIV, Feb 21 – Political risks in Ukraine are behind a delay in tenders to conclude production sharing agreements (PSAs) for the development of hydrocarbon fields, Director of the SigmaBleyzer investment group's energy sector Vadim Bodaev said.

"Political risks are big, presidential and parliamentary elections, possible changes in the Cabinet of Ministers (after all, 15 members of the Interdepartmental Commission for PSA implementation are deputy ministers) add an element of instability to the process of organization. The issue of announcing the winners can be postponed until the fall, until the end of the year ... How soon the agreements themselves will be signed after the announcement of the winners is also a question," Bodaev said in an interview with the Reform.Energy portal.