KIEV, June 19 – Ukraine supports the operation of European energy markets under unified rules and equal access by all operators, President Viktor Yushchenko said on Friday.

Speaking at a plenary meeting of the 16th Summit of Central European Heads of State in Serbia, Yushchenko said he is confident that faced with the current global crisis all countries need solidarity "as a political fact" and "a tool to counteract" all the challenges facing the European continent and the world in general, the presidential press service reported.

He said the point at issue is the importance of observing the lawful rights of both producers and consumers, as well as energy transit operators – and precisely this position forms the basis of the European Energy Charter.