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Russia ready for constructive trilateral gas meeting, says energy minister

Trilateral gas consultations between Russia, the European Commission and Ukraine will be held on Thursday in Brussels

BRUSSELS, September 19. /TASS/. Russia’s Energy Ministry is ready for a constructive trilateral meeting on the gas issue, Minister Alexander Novak said prior to the meeting with European Commission’s Vice-President for Energy Union Maros Sefcovic on Thursday.

"(We are - TASS) ready for constructive talks," he said.

Trilateral gas consultations between Russia, the European Commission (EC) and Ukraine will be held on Thursday in Brussels. Extension of the contract on gas transit from Russia to Europe through the Ukrainian territory after 2019 will be the main issue on the agenda as the present ten-year agreement expires at the end of this year.

Prior to trilateral consultations bilateral meetings will be held in the EC building.

Sefcovic said earlier that the European Commission would push for a long-term transit contract for Kiev during the consultations on September 19 to back the attractiveness of the Ukrainian gas-transport system to draw investment in its modernization. He also emphasized that fulfillment of Kiev’s liabilities on implementation of the EU’s energy norms will be another issue on the agenda.