EU set for gas talks with Ukraine, Russia Friday

Russia, Ukraine and the European Union are set to resume gas talks in Brussels Friday aimed at restoring Russian gas supplies to neighboring Ukraine, the Russian energy minister said Thursday.

The spokeswoman of energy minister Alexander Novak told AFP "we confirm" the meeting is going ahead.

The minister told journalists Thursday that "the talks are tomorrow. We will be finally agreeing the text of the protocol (agreement)," quoted by TASS state news agency.

Neither Kiev nor Brussels had confirmed the meeting Thursday afternoon.

Ukrainian energy minister Volodymyr Demchyshyn had told Interfax Ukraine news agency Tuesday: "I think a meeting will take place on Friday and a protocol will be signed."

Russia and Ukraine have disputed gas prices since a pro-Western popular uprising ousted ex-president Viktor Yanukovych and took control of Kiev last year.

Russian gas giant Gazprom first interrupted gas supplies last year before switching them back on to ensure Ukraine survived the winter.

In July it once again halted all natural gas supplies to Ukraine after the breakdown of talks between Moscow and Kiev.

Recent weeks have seen fresh attempts to resolve the conflict with the approach of winter, when Ukraine will have higher demand for gas, as well as Europe.

Ukraine transports 15 percent of gas consumed by Europe and its own reserves are running low more than two months after Gazprom turned off the tap.

Novak and the European Commission's vice-president for energy Maros Sefcovic met in Vienna on Sept. 11 to discuss ways of ending the gas dispute.

Russian officials said that the EU was offering to provide $500 million to Ukraine specifically to buy Russian gas, so that it could replenish its reserves and ensure uninterrupted gas transit.

Days later Gazprom chief Alexei Miller met the head of Ukraine's Naftogaz gas company, Andriy Kobolev. Miller said that he hoped supplies would resume from Oct. 1.
  Agence France Presse
dailystar.com.lb
24/9/15
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• Winter package on gas may be signed at September meeting Russia-EC-Ukraine