BRUSSELS, May 23. /TASS/. European Commission’s Vice-President for Energy Union Maros Sefcovic has submitted invitations to Russia and Ukraine for a new round of trilateral talks on transit and supplies of gas, he said in a statement released by the EC’s press service on Wednesday.

"I have reached out to both Ukrainian and Russian partners and invited them for trilateral talks," Sefcovic was quoted as saying.

Brussels will be striving for retention of long-term transit of Russian gas to EU countries via Ukraine, European Commission’s vice-president added. 

"Constructive and stable co-operation between Russia and Ukraine in the field of energy is of utmost importance for the European Union. In this context, I have always underlined the need for a continued, long-term transit of Russian gas through Ukraine to the EU in a reliable and commercially viable way," he was quoted as saying.

"The talks should start as soon as possible in order to take stock of the gas matters important for involved parties and to look into gas transit via Ukraine beyond 2019," Sefcovic emphasized.