BRUSSELS, October 30 (RIA Novosti) — Trilateral gas talks between Russia, Ukraine and the European Commission (EC) will continue October 30, Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak said Thursday.
"The negotiations are not yet completed, we have just had a very long discussion of the documents that should be prepared based on the results of negotiations. They are still being worked out. We have agreed to continue working on October 30. I can say that the main parameters to form the basis of these documents were agreed, the price was also agreed," Novak said following the results of the talks in Brussels.
On Wednesday, Russia and Ukraine started the final round of gas talks, mediated by the European Commission, to find an interim solution to the standoff over Ukraine's unpaid gas bills and the price Kiev will pay for Russian gas supplies during the upcoming winter.
The gas dispute between Russia and Ukraine became especially acute when Gazprom switched Kiev to a prepayment system for gas supplies in June over Ukraine's gas debt of more than $5 billion.
In September, Russia and the European Commission proposed the so-called "winter package", according to which Ukraine should pay $3.1 billion of its debt to Russia by the end of the year in exchange for gas deliveries during the winter period.
Following the trilateral Russia-Ukraine-EU talks in Brussels on October 21, Ukraine agreed to the temporary price of $385 per 1,000 cubic meters of gas during the winter months.
