Russia, Ukraine, EU To Hold Top Level Gas Transit Talks In October - Naftogaz

Top level negotiations between Russia, Ukraine and the European Union on gas transit through the Ukrainian territory after 2019 are expected to take place in October, Yuriy Vitrenko, the business development director at Ukraine's Naftogaz energy company, said on Tuesday.

KIEV (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 25th September, 2018) Top level negotiations between Russia, Ukraine and the European Union on gas transit through the Ukrainian territory after 2019 are expected to take place in October, Yuriy Vitrenko, the business development director at Ukraine's Naftogaz energy company, said on Tuesday.

On Wednesday, experts from Russia, Ukraine and the European Union will meet for technical consultations. In September, Russian Deputy Energy Minister Anatoly Yanovsky said that there might be a chance a ministerial meeting would be needed after the expert talks.

"Talks on the top level rather than the expert level are expected to take place in October. Usually, the top level talks are attended by [Naftogaz CEO Andriy] Kobolyev, myself, lawyers, people responsible for analysis and research," Vitrenko said at a press conference.

The trilateral negotiations on gas transit from Russia to the European Union via Ukraine resumed in July after years of dispute between Naftogaz and Russia's energy giant Gazprom over Ukraine's massive gas debt.

The existing transit contract expires in 2019.