Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko said on Monday that his country is interested in participating in the construction of the Nabucco pipeline project, which takes Iranian natural gas to Europe.

"I discussed with the Romanian president about Ukraine's possible participation in the Nabucco project, the development of which we consider important and interesting," Yushchenko told reporters here after meeting with his Romanian counterpart Traian Basescu.

He added that in the coming days he will send Basescu a formal letter detailing the technical aspects of Ukraine's involvement in the project.

The envisaged pipeline channels natural gas from Iran to Austria via Turkey, Bulgaria, Romania and Hungary.

Basescu stressed that there is little chance for the two countries to develop a system to support each other with energy in the eventuality of a crisis like the one between Russia and Belarus last week.

Basescu said that both countries are hydrocarbon importers and cannot promptly step in to support each other in case of a crisis, adding that the only feasible cooperation project would be in the field of electrical energy, as the Romanian and Ukrainian distribution systems are partially interconnected.