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Ukraine must sign a governmental pact on gas supply and transit service for 2006 with Russia, besides the gas deal already signed by the economic entities of both countries, said Ukrainian Prime Minister Yuri Yekhanurov said in a statement on Friday.
The Ukrainian government will propose a draft pact to the Russian side before Jan. 16. The official outcome of the Ukrainian-Russian negotiations and the gas agreement reached by the two parties will guarantee Ukraine's gas supply and consumption, Yekhanurov said.



According to an intergovernmental pact signed by Ukraine and Russia in 2001, the two countries are obliged to sign gas protocols and agreements annually.



Russia "was, and remains the largest partner of Ukraine," Yekhanurov said, noting that adjustments on natural gas prices and transit fees will only be made after both sides reach an agreement.



Russia's gas giant Gazprom and Ukraine's oil and gas company Naftogaz Ukraine clinched a deal on Wednesday, under which Gazprom will sell gas for 230 U.S. dollars per 1,000 cubic meters to the Rosukrenergo trading company, which will mix the Russian gas with cheaper gas from Central Asia and sell the blend to Ukraine for 95dollars per 1,000 cubic meters.



Ukraine had been buying Russian gas at 50 dollars per 1,000 cubic meters over the past year.



The two sides also agreed to raise the price for transiting every 1,000 cubic meters of natural gas over 100 km through Ukraine to Europe from 1.09 dollars to 1.60 dollars.