EU Wants Long-Term Russia-Ukraine Deal on Gas Transit - Official
The European Commission expects Russia and Ukraine to reach a long-term deal on the transit of natural gas to Europe, a senior energy official at the EU body said Wednesday
KIEV (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 09th October, 2019) The European Commission expects Russia and Ukraine to reach a long-term deal on the transit of natural gas to Europe, a senior energy official at the EU body said Wednesday.
Klaus-Dieter Borchardt said at the Ukrainian Gas Forum in Kiev that a long-term pact would be in the interest of the European Union, Ukraine and � further down the road � of Russia.
The existing pact expires in December.
Negotiators from Russia and Ukraine have been meeting to hammer out a new deal with the help of EU mediators. Russian President Vladimir Putin offered this week to extend the gas contract for one year if the talks failed.
Borchardt said the European Commission would remain focused on reaching a long-term deal and denied there was a "Plan B." He said the next round of talks would be decisive and called on the negotiators to take "concrete steps" toward ending the gas impasse.