BRUSSELS, October 9. /TASS/. The European Commission, the European Union’s executive body, suggests holding three-party gas talks involving the EU, Russia and Ukraine on October 21, a spokesman for the EC told TASS on Thursday.

EC Vice President Guenther Oettinger on Thursday proposed to his Russian and Ukrainian counterparts holding the next tripartite meeting on October 21 in Berlin, the spokesman said.

The date and venue are to be agreed by the three parties, he said.

Russia-Ukraine gas dispute

Russia stopped gas flows to Ukraine in June over an unsettled dispute over debt and gas prices.

As of August 1, the overall debt of Naftogaz to Gazprom for supplied gas totaled about $5.3 billion.

Russia raised the gas price for Ukraine from $268.5 to $485.5 per 1,000 cu m from April 2014. Ukraine refused to pay for Russian natural gas supplies at such a high price.

After Russia and Ukraine failed to reach a compromise on the gas issue, Naftogaz and Gazprom filed mutual claims to the Stockholm Arbitration Tribunal.

The average price for Russian natural gas supplies to Europe currently stands at $380-390.

Gazprom offered Ukraine a $100 price discount in August. Kiev rejected the offer, insisting on fixing gas prices without any discounts.

The EU believes it is possible to set the price of Russian natural gas for Ukraine at $385 in winter and $325 in summer.