KIEV, Feb. 2 - President Viktor Yushchenko said Friday that he wasn??™t sure that Ukraine would benefit from immediately merging its gas transportation network with undisclosed Russian gas producing assets.

???The gas transport system is a strategic Ukrainian asset. By law, the state has a monopoly over it and manages it. Everything which is related to modifying the model requires a very thorough and cautious approach," Yushchenko said.