You're reading: Negotiations between Miller and Boiko slated for Jan. 17

MOSCOW - The next round of negotiations between Gazprom CEO Alexei Miller and Ukraine's Energy and Coal Minister Yuriy Boiko are preliminary planned to take place on Jan. 17, the Russian gas giant's information policy department told Interfax.

The meeting will likely take place in Moscow.

Ukraine has been in negotiations with Gazprom since 2011 for reducing the gas supply price in 2012. In turn, Gazprom has expressed its concern that Naftogaz Ukrainy has made unilateral announcements about its plans to reduce total gas purchases based on an annual volume of 27 billion cubic meters as stipulated in the gas contract between the Russian and Ukrainian gas monopolies since in January 2009. Naftogaz Ukraine planned to purchase 52 bcm of gas a year starting from 2010.

Ukraine has sharply cut down its selection of gas imports, almost by three times, since the start of the year. Daily selection came to 100 mcm-110 mcm at the end of 2011 but has decreased since the start of January, reaching 33.3 mcm by Jan. 9.

Naftogaz Ukrainy said that it had warned Gazprom about it plans to agree on purchasing 27 bcm of gas in 2012. In turn, Gazprom said that Naftogaz Ukrainy has let the time expire for discussing gas supply in 2012. Furthermore, the Russian gas giant insists that the annual contract volume fro Ukraine this year comes to 52 bcm while the minimum contract amount (take or pay) comes to 41.6 bcm.