BRUSSELS, Sept 11 (Reuters) - The European Union will do all it can to facilitate talks next week between Ukraine and Russia on future gas transits after their contract expires in January, the bloc’s energy commissioner said on Wednesday.

“It is very important for the role of both countries in future gas trading operations, and we are coming to these talks with an open mind because we need to find a solution and I understand that these talks have the support of both leaders in Russia and Ukraine,” European Commission Vice President Maros Sefcovic told a press conference.

“We are really looking at all alternatives how we can achieve that.”

He added that the date of Sept. 19 for the EU-mediated talks in Brussels had been set before a decisions by the European Court of Justice earlier this week on Russian gas flows via a pipeline bypassing Ukraine. (Reporting by Alissa de Carbonnel)