Ukraine is ready to resume the tripartite gas negotiations with Russia and the European Union at any time, Ukrainian Energy Minister Yury Prodan reported to journalists before his meeting with the Vice-President of the European Commission Gunther Ettinger.
"We are ready to continue our consultations and talks. We are ready to start negotiations at any moment and we will discuss about this matter with Mr. Ettinger," said Prodan in Brussels.
The European Commission has confirmed its intention to hold a tripartite summit between official representatives of Russia, Ukraine and the EC. However, the date has not been set yet, said press Secretary of the EU Commission for energy Sabina Berger earlier on Thursday.
Previously the Commission intended to get a trilateral Ministerial talks on gas before the EC summer brake in August. Then the source reported that consultations can be held in August too.
On Wednesday the responsible person in the EC for energy, Gunther Ettinger, said to RIA Novosti that he will hardly meet with Russia's Energy Minister Alexander Novak to have a gas discussion. It was expected that this meeting will help to define the tripartite talks on gas date.
The EU-Russia-Ukraine tripartite gas consultations were held from April to mid-June, but were not successful. Kiev persisted in a significant reduction of Russian gas price and threatened to refuse unpaid gas bill covering otherwise. Ukraine’s total debt for supplied gas was $4.7 billion at that time. Russia offered a discount, but neither the size nor the mechanism of granting Ukraine was not satisfied with.
As a result, Russia’s Gazprom switched Ukraine to a prepayment system on June 16. After that, the Russian Energy Ministry and Gazprom stated repeatedly that there is no subject for negotiations with Kiev until it begins paying off its gas debts.
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