You're reading: European Commission and Ukraine to discuss gas issue in August

European Commission Vice President Maros Sefcovic and Ukrainian Energy and Coal Industry Minister Volodymyr Demchyshyn plan to discuss the gas issue on Aug. 27-28, ahead of trilateral talks involving with Russia, Mykhailo Bno-Airiian, head of the Ukrainian ministry's Department for European Integration, told Interfax during a press conference in Kyiv.

“Bilateral talks will probably take place between the minister and Sefcovic on Aug. 27-28 in the framework of celebrations of the 10th anniversary of the Energy Community in Vienna so that we can hold trilateral talks as early as the first half of September and reach a compromise with the Russians, agree on natural gas supplies,” he said.

The ideal time for the European Commission, Russia and Ukraine to hold gas talks would be September, Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak told reporters on July 28.

“We think all the conditions for Ukraine to buy gas are in place, therefore consultations can occur only for the fourth quarter. So it’d be September,” Novak said.

Novak also said the EC had sent Russia a proposal to take part in gas negotiations in August. “We are looking at it,” he said.