(KIEV) - Ukraine's new leadership wants a joint Russian-EU consortium to be set up to help modernise the country's gas pipeline network, a vice prime minister said Friday.

The consortium would then operate the pipelines -- through which 80 percent of Russia's gas exports to Europe pass -- under concession, Andriy Klyuyev was quoted by Interfax news agency as saying.

"The gas pipelines will remain property of the the state but we will be able to attract EU resources to reconstruct them and ensure the stability of gas supplies to EU countries," he said.

Ukraine's new President Viktor Yanukovych said during his campaign he wanted to create a consortium between Russian gas giant Gazprom, Ukrainian gas group Naftogaz and European energy groups to run the pipeline network.

Defeated presidential candidate and outgoing prime minister Yulia Tymoshenko has vowed to prevent such a consortium from being formed, which she argues would run against the national interest.

Under Ukraine's previous leadership, Kiev frequently clashed with Moscow over shipments of Russian gas to Europe, causing shipments to EU countries to be cut several times in the dead of winter.

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