Possible Russia-Ukraine-EC Gas Meeting May Be Discussed by End of March

BRUSSELS (Sputnik) – It might be possible to return to the issue of holding the next round of tripartite talks between Russia, Ukraine and the European Commission on the supply of Russian gas to Kiev closer to the end of March, Russia's EU envoy Vladimir Chizhov said Thursday.

The EU body's energy chief, Maros Sefcovic, said in late January that the European Commission had discussed the possibility of holding a trilateral ministerial meeting on gas with Russia and Ukraine, at which it would like to discuss winter season supplies and further work.

"At the moment, the Russian Energy Ministry sees no grounds for these tripartite talks. The 'winter package' is running, it is valid until the end of March. That's why, closer to the end of March it would be possible, perhaps, to return to this issue. The price of gas after March 31 will probably be coordinated directly by Gazprom and Ukraine’s Naftogaz," Chizhov told RIA Novosti in an interview.

The trilateral winter package protocol outlines the conditions according to which Ukraine can purchase 2 billion cubic meters of natural gas from Russia, for $500 million, to cover the period from October 1, 2015 to March 31, 2016. The full winter package agreement includes an addendum to the contract between Russia’s Gazprom and Ukraine’s Naftogaz.

The protocol also stipulates a $20-per-1,000-cubic-meters discount, which Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev earlier decreed.