MOSCOW (Sputnik) – The Russian Energy Ministry has agreed to the European Commission’s proposal to hold the three-way gas talks with Ukraine on March 20, a ministry spokesman told RIA Novosti Tuesday.
“Yes, we have agreed on the date. [The meeting] will be held in Brussels on March 20,” he said, adding that the meeting’s official agenda will be published later.
The previous three-way gas talks were held in Brussels on March 2, with the parties discussing future supplies of Russian gas to Ukraine beyond April 1, when the so-called winter package agreement expires.
21 February 2015, 15:38 GMT
After suspending gas deliveries to Ukraine for six months in 2014 over Kiev's gas debt of more than $5 billion at that time, Russian energy giant Gazprom resumed gas supplies in December 2014, switching Kiev to the prepayment system.
The current deal between Gazprom and Kiev stipulates advance payments from Ukraine at a discounted price of $100 for 1,000 cubic meters of gas.
On March 3, Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak said that Kiev's gas debt stood at $2.4 billion in arrears.
