"Bulgaria and Turkey are ready to buy gas from Europe through Ukraine. Serious negotiations are in process. Talks with Slovakia will be held in early April," he said. Prokopiv expressed opinion that the year of 2016 would become the key in the issue of starting the use of the Ukrainian gas transportation system (GTS) to supply European gas to southern Europe. Vice President of Ukrtransgaz Myroslav Khymko said at present the company is in talks with Romania to start gas pumping towards Ukraine. "We have already agreed with the Romanian side: there will be separate pipelines for deliveries to one and the opposite direction. Their contract with Gazprom expires in October 2016. From then on, they can work with us." he said.