BRUSSELS, Oct. 27 – Continuation of gas transit via Ukraine remains a strategic priority for the European Union in the context of its relations with Russia's Gazprom, European Commission Vice President Maros Sefcovic said.

He said at a briefing on Wednesday that earlier the EU executive body discussed a request of Germany's Bundesnetzagentur (Federal Network Agency for Electricity, Gas, Telecommunications, Post and Railway) to permit Gazprom to increase pumping of Russian gas using the OPAL pipeline.