Brussels, 22/04/2013 (Agence Europe) - In Brussels on 3 May, Energy Commissioner Günther Oettinger and Ukrainian Minister for Industry Eduard Stavytsky, will co-chair a round table on EU-Ukraine energy relations, the modernisation of the Ukrainian gas transport system and the creation of an Eastern European gas platform on Ukrainian soil, in which interested European, Russian and Ukrainian energy companies will take part.
Tripartite negotiations - still no response from Russia. On 19 April, the Commission confirmed that Moscow has still not responded to the EU's proposal, which has been on the table for two years, to negotiate the revision of the prices of Russian gas in Ukraine in a tripartite format, with Russia and Ukraine. For several years, Kiev has been trying to bring down the prices of the gas it buys from Russia. Moscow has agreed to revise its gas contract with Kiev, but on the condition that it is able to control the Ukrainian gas transport pipelines. The two countries are currently negotiating the creation of a joint consortium tasked with managing this network. (EH/transl.fl)