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Russia, Ukraine discuss gas prices

13 August 2011 01:28 (UTC +04:00)

Baku-APA. Russia and Ukraine have held talks on natural gas pricing which has been a source of tension between the two nations in the past, APA reports quoting Press TV.

Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovich visited Sochi, Russia, to discuss high gas prices with his Russian counterpart Dmitry Medvedev. He voiced high hopes for reaching a compromise.

â€œUkraine just simply doesn’t have the money to pay for it [natural gas]. So Yanukovich will probably suggest other things such as allowing more Russian warships in Sevastopol, which is a legal territory of Ukraine, or other things which do not require financial expense on Ukraine’s side,â€ political analyst Dmitry Babich told a press TV correspondent.

Ukraine said it had earlier planned to go court in order to cancel a 2009 contract with Russia signed by former Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko who currently faces charges of abuse of power while in office.

The two countries also discussed trade and economic cooperation and joint projects.

The talks are of important because Russia needs Ukraine’s cooperation in order to renovate the Black Sea Fleet in the Crimea.

Last year, Yanukovich offered to extend the lease on the Russian naval base in the Crimea in exchange for receiving a discount in gas prices from Moscow.

Russia’s lease was to expire in 2017, but was extended until 2042.