UPDATE2: EC in talks with Moscow to hold Russia-Ukraine-EU gas meeting

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DAVOS, Switzerland, Jan 21 (PRIME) -- The European Commission is in talks with Moscow and Kiev to hold a new trilateral meeting on gas exports to Ukraine at a ministerial level, Maros Sefcovic, the Slovak vice-president of the commission and head of its energy policy, told PRIME on Thursday.

“The heating season will end soon. And I believe it is a good idea to hold a trilateral meeting to assess the heating season, to discuss how to prepare for the next period,” he said.

“I believe there are a plenty of issues to discuss. At present, we discuss such an opportunity with both sides – Russia and Ukraine. We are in touch with them.”

The E.U., Ukraine and Russia have not agreed on the final date yet, Sefcofic said.

The commissioner believes that Ukraine has enough gas in its underground storages for the heating season.

“We regularly monitor the volumes of gas in the Ukrainian storages. They seem to be sufficient so far, as was expected at the beginning of the heating season,” he said.

At present, Ukraine buys no Russian gas. Ukraine refused to buy Russian gas for $212.23 per 1,000 cubic meters because it purchases cheaper gas from the EU. On January 19, Ukraine’s Energy and Coal Minister Vladimir Demchishin said Kiev has paid the E.U. $190 per 1,000 cubic meters of gas recently.

Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Pavel Klimkin said that Ukraine supports the idea of a trilateral gas meeting because of the changing price dynamics and other market conditions.

Russia, Ukraine and the E.U. have not determined the agenda of the meeting yet, according to the official.

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