BRUSSELS, September 28. /TASS/. European Commissioner for Energy Kadri Simson explained the role of the European Commission (EC) in assessing of contracts like the one signed between Hungary’s MVM and Russian Gazprom under the EU Security of Supply legislation to Ukrainian Energy Minister German Galushchenko during their meeting, an EC spokesperson told TASS on Tuesday.

"Minister Galushchenko also raised the issue of the newly-signed contract between MVM and Gazprom for supplying gas to Hungary and presented the Ukrainian position. Commissioner Simson listened to the Minister’s views and explained to him the role for the Commission in assessing such a contract under the EU Security of Supply legislation," the spokesperson said.

"Commissioner Simson also reiterated the Commission’s well-known position that we consider Ukraine to be a reliable transit country," the spokesperson added.

The meeting between Simson and Galushchenko was constructive, the spokesperson said. "The Commissioner emphasized the importance of the current reforms ongoing in Ukraine in both the electricity and gas market, the support of the Commission to the synchronization to the EU electricity network and the readiness to facilitate this process by adopting a roadmap on the steps and benchmarks to be met until completion," he noted.

The Commissioner and the Minister "exchanged on ways for promoting Ukraine’s clean energy transition and on the state of play of programs for upgrading the safety of nuclear power plants," the spokesperson added.

The meeting took place on the back of the new long-term gas supply contract signed between Hungarian company MVM and Gazprom on September 27.