Vice-President of the EU Commission in charge of Energy Union Maroš Šefčovič has confirmed that the first round of trilateral talks of Ukraine, Russia and the European Union on long-term gas transit via Ukraine to the EU will be held on July 17.
"I am glad that the 1st round of trilateral talks with Ukrainian and Russian partners will take place on 17 July," he said in a statement on July 5.
Both, representatives of the respective governments and commercial entities will be involved.
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"Our aim is to agree on our long-term agenda as well as our working method," he said.
"Constructive and stable co-operation between Russia and Ukraine in the field of energy is of utmost importance for both countries and the European Union. The need for a continued, long-term transit of Russian gas through Ukraine to the EU in a reliable, commercially viable way is an indispensable part of it," he said.
He expects that the negotiations will be complex and difficult.
"It is clear that time is of the essence. The negotiations that lie ahead of us are complex and difficult and therefore, require full attention and constructive engagement. As proven in the past, a trilateral process is the most effective platform to seek a satisfactory solution to the gas matters important for involved parties and to gas transit via Ukraine beyond 2019," he said.
