Kiev: Moscow ready for gas price talks

Ukrainian Prime Minister Nikolai Azarov said Thursday that Russian officials were serious about examining the terms of a 2009 natural gas deal. Azarov said both sides were ready to return to negotiations soon, reports Russia's state-run news agency RIA Novosti. "Russia's leaders have agreed to seriously look again at the Ukrainian side's arguments concerning the delivery of Russian gas, and return to talks in the near future on reviewing the contract which has presented Ukraine with such unequal conditions," said Azarov. Gazprom in 2009 cut natural gas deliveries through Ukraine after a series of contractual disputes. Ukraine managed to break the impasse, though the government later sentenced former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko to prison for abusing her authority in the deal. Azarov's comments come a week after Ukrainian Energy Minister Yuri Boiko met in Moscow with officials from Russian energy company Gazprom. Ukraine is eager to revise its contract with Gazprom because of the heavy financial burden.