Ukraine"s new Prime Minister Mykola Azarov...

Ukraine"s new President Viktor Yanukovych, who came to power in February after narrowly winning a presidential runoff, has been seeking to revise a long-term gas deal signed by ex-premier Yulia Tymoshenko and the Russian prime minister in early 2009.

In return for cheaper gas, Ukraine wants to offer Russia a stake in its gas transportation system, which currently accounts for about 80% of Russian natural gas exports to Europe.

Azarov was quoted as saying on Wednesday that Russia has set unreasonably high gas prices for Ukraine, which have further strained the country"s meager finances.

"That is why the issue... will be on the first place during a meeting of the Ukrainian and Russian premiers," the Ukrainian government"s press service said.

"We expect that a bilaterally beneficial draft project [on Russian gas supplies to Ukraine] will be worked out and we will jointly implement it. We should certainly find a compromise solution, which would make the development

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