European Commission waits for Russia to suggest new gas talks date

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The European Commission, the EU executive, is waiting for Moscow to suggest an alternative date to Sept. 20 for three-way talks on the Ukraine-Russia gas price dispute, an EU official said. A spokeswoman for the Russian Energy Ministry said earlier trilateral talks between Russia, Ukraine and the Commission would no longer take place on Sept. 20. as the Commission had previously announced. An EU source in Brussels, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the Sept. 20 date had only been a proposal, subject to confirmation by the three sides, and the Commission was waiting for Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak to suggest another date. (Reporting by Barbara Lewis; editing by Adrian Croft)