"Have invited #Ukraine and #Russia to Brussels for the next round of #TrilateralGasTalks at a political level in January. Expect that commercial entities will also attend. Important to build on the positive momentum created in July," Sefcovic wrote on Twitter.
READ MORE: EU Energy Chief Says to Invite Russia, Ukraine to Hold Talks on Gas
The current contract for the transit of Russian gas to Europe through Ukraine expires in late 2019. Ukraine has repeatedly voiced its willingness to continue remaining a transit country, as well as its concern over the Nord Stream-2 pipeline project, envisaging the annual delivery of 55 billion cubic meters of Russian natural gas to the European Union, with the pipeline bypassing Ukraine. Russian President Vladimir Putin said earlier that Russia would not halt the transit of gas through Ukraine if this remained cost-effective.