Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, whether he has had recent discussions with his Ukrainian counterpart on the suspension of special permits for hydrocarbons in Ukraine.

While we are in regular contact with the Ukrainian Government, the issue of special permits for hydrocarbon projects by the Ukrainian authorities has not been discussed. The UK government is engaged with the Ministry of Energy and Ukrainian companies on short-term energy security needs and has introduced a time-limited exemption to its international fossil fuel support policy for Ukraine. Longer-term solutions in the region and globally must focus on clean energy, to prevent long-term dependence on fossil fuels.