KIEV, October 1. /TASS/. Gas talks between Ukraine and the EU will be held in Brussels on October 2, the Bloomberg news agency quoted Ukrainian Energy and Coal Industry Minister Yuriy Prodan as saying on Wednesday.
The tripartite gas talks with the participation of Russia may take place on October 3, Prodan said. A spokesman to the Russian Energy Ministry told TASS that the exact date of tripartite talks had not been determined yet.
According to TASS reports, after the tripartite talks in Berlin on September 26 Russia, the EU and Ukraine prepared a new package on the gas problem. The agreement should be coordinated by the governments of the countries.
European Energy Commissioner Gunther Oettinger, explaining the new agreement at a press conference after the meeting in Berlin, said Ukraine must pay $3.1 billion until the end of this year to repay its debt to Gazprom for the already supplied gas. The Russian company will supply five billion cubic meters of gas to Ukraine and give an option for five billion cubic meters more. The price will be set at $385 for 1,000 cubic meters with a $100 discount (from $485 Russia previously insisted on). The discount will be in force only for the next six months.
Ukraine will pay $2 billion dollars to Gazprom before October 2 for the supplied gas, and at least $1.1 billion until the end of 2014, the EU commissioner said. Thus, $3.1 billion must be paid until the end of this year.
Oettinger said final payment to settle the debts must be made after the arbitration consideration (no earlier than in the summer of 2015). The final settlement will depend on the court decision. Ukraine’s total debt for gas exceeds $5 billion dollars.