You're reading: Naftogaz supports European Commission proposal to extend ‘winter package’

Naftogaz Ukrainy welcomes the European Commission's proposal to discuss the follow-up of the Binding Protocol signed by Russia, the European Commission and Ukraine on Oct. 31, 2014 in Brussels, the winter gas package, which would last at least until the end of the next winter period, the company said in a press release.

In support of this proposal and to ensure cooperation between the companies, Naftogaz has sent Russia’s Gazprom a letter in which the company expresses support for extending the winter package.

Ukraine received a letter from European Commission Vice-President for Energy Union Maros Sefcovic on March 27 in which he discusses his proposal to Russia to continue the current pricing mechanism for Russian gas supplied by Gazprom to Ukrainian consumers.

Sefcovic also suggests that the parties hold the next trilateral meeting with the European Commission in Brussels in mid-April.

“Naftogaz confirms its willingness to participate in such a meeting to discuss these proposals,” the company said.

The parties at their last trilateral meeting in Brussels on March 20 agreed that an expert group should start work on the details of the talks, the EC press office told Interfax on Monday.

“A working group will present its draft proposals for the next trilateral meeting in April 2015. As part of this work, letters were sent by Vice-President for Energy Union Maros Sefcovic to Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak and Ukrainian Energy and Coal Industry Volodymyr Demchyshyn. Individual aspects [of proposals for the meeting] are being discussed right now and cannot be disclosed because they are elements of the talks,” the press office said, commenting on the statement that Naftogaz welcomes the initiative to extend the winter package by a year and plans to hold a trilateral meeting in Brussels in the middle of April.

“Several dates are under consideration for the next trilateral meeting, but a final date cannot be confirmed at this stage,” the press office said.

“As announced in the joint statement following the previous talks, the next meeting is due to take place in April,” it said.