MOSCOW, November 25. /TASS/: The next trilateral technical meeting on the issue of gas transit via Ukraine is scheduled for November 29, Russian Deputy Energy Minister Anatoly Yanovsky told TASS on Monday, adding that the format of the meeting would be defined on Wednesday, November 27.
"[The meeting] is potentially planned for Friday, though it may be held differently — as a videoconference or face-to-face, which will be decided on Wednesday," he explained.
On November 20, representatives of Russia, the European Union and Ukraine held technical consultations on the gas issue where they decided to continue negotiations and sum up the results this week.
Yanovsky positively views the results of the meeting on November 20, he noted, adding that the work on corporate documents is underway. "I view [the meeting] positively," he said, adding that "the work on corporate documents is underway."
The existing contracts on supplies and transit of the Russian gas through Ukraine expire on December 31. By that time, Russia plans to launch two gas pipelines bypassing Ukraine — Nord Stream 2 and TurkStream. In its turn, Ukraine is obliged to introduce the European energy legislation by the end of this year.
Russia is ready to enter into a transit contact in compliance with the European regulation if Kiev meets the deadlines of all the required procedures. The Russian side suggests that the existing contract be extended for 2020 as a backup option. Moreover, Moscow is ready to resume gas supplies to Ukraine suspended in 2015 at a price slashed by a quarter. Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak informed earlier that the parties discussed annual gas deliveries of 15 bln cubic meters starting 2020.
Legal disputes between Russia’s Gazprom and Naftogaz of Ukraine complicate the dialogue. Moscow considers the "package solution" to be optimal, which implies that the parties waive their mutual claims and the $6.5 bln fine of the Antimonopoly Committee of Ukraine is canceled. However, Naftogaz warns that it does not intend to give up lawsuits it filed against Gazprom.
