KIEV, May 21 - Foreign Minister Kostiantyn Hryshchenko on Friday assured lawmakers that the government will not agree to merge assets of Naftogaz Ukrayiny and Gazprom of Russia.

Hryshcheko responded to concerns among opposition lawmakers that the government may be preparing a deal to merge the assets of Naftogaz and Gazprom under pressure from Russia.

“Neither on the state level nor on the corporate level there are talks on the merger of gas transportation systems,” Hryshchenko said addressing lawmakers in Parliament.