REUTERS
The meeting in Vienna was attended by the two countries' energy ministers, as well as top managers of Naftogaz and Russia's Gazprom.
NJSC Naftogaz of Ukraine explains that Ukraine-Russia ministerial consultations on gas transit were held in Vienna on November 28 in coordination with the European Commission, which is a third party to the negotiation process.
"A ministerial meeting was held between the energy ministers of Ukraine and Russia in Vienna yesterday. Bilateral meetings are not something unique in the format of trilateral gas negotiations we have been conducting with Russians with the participation of the European Commission since 2014 ... Yesterday's consultations were agreed with the European Commission. Any decisions on this issue will continue to be discussed and taken by us in the Ukraine-Russia-EU trilateral format," Naftogaz said on Facebook on November 29.
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The company also informed it had received comments from Russia on a draft agreement sent by Ukraine to the Russian side in September.
"Good news is that we've finally got comments from the Russians on an interconnection agreement, which should be concluded in accordance with European rules ... Such an agreement is the first step to continue transit, although the final decision is still a long way to go," Naftogaz said.
As UNIAN reported earlier, a bilateral meeting between Ukraine and Russia was held in Vienna on November 28 as part of negotiations to prepare for signing an agreement on the transportation of gas through the Ukrainian gas transportation system. It was attended by the two countries' energy ministers, as well as top managers of Naftogaz and Russia's Gazprom.