MOSCOW, September 30 (RIA Novosti) - The Russian and Ukrainian governments have instructed authorized bodies to step up negotiations on the supply and transportation of natural gas, Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Fradkov said Friday.
"We agreed and instructed the authorized structures in both countries to intensify this work," Fradkov told a news conference after talks with his Ukrainian counterpart, Yuriy Yekhanurov. "But these issues demand further detailed discussion."
"We had a candid exchange of views, and we will continue working on the issue," Yekhanurov said.
Kiev hopes to maintain the terms of the current bilateral agreement under which Ukraine buys natural gas from Russia at $50 per thousand cubic meters when it is pumped through its territory. European countries, however, pay Russia more than $100 per thousand cubic meters.
Moscow wants to replace the current gas-for-transit scheme for cash payments and make Ukraine pay the European price, which is expected to reach $160 in 2006.
