European Commission Vice-President with responsibility for Energy Union Maros Šefčovič said on Tuesday 20 September that, in a session devoted to energy matters at the EU-Russia Dialogue expected in Moscow in October, he wanted talks with the Russian authorities on tripartite negotiations on the supply of Russian gas to Ukraine this winter and also the transit of Russian gas to the EU via Ukraine after 2019.
Speaking at a conference in Rome, Šefčovič again argued for trilateral talks to be held to find agreement on the provision of Russian gas to Ukraine for winter 2016-2017, similar to those concluded for the two previous winters, the Russian media have reported.
At the start of September, Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak spoke of a meeting in mid-October but, by Wednesday 21 September, the Commission had yet to confirm the date. (Original version in French by Emmanuel Hagry)