KIEV, April 22 – The project to modernize Ukraine's gas transport system could be an alternative to the South Stream project, President Viktor Yanukovych said on Thursday, stressing that Ukraine would not take any decision to "give away" its gas transport system.

"We were not planning to do so and we would never do so," Yanukovych said.

"It's clear that there is a need to modernize the gas transport system to increase gas pumping volumes," he said.