Ukraine will protect its national interests as it tries to negotiate cheaper Russian gas supplies, Energy Minister Yuri Boiko said on Tuesday.
"President (Viktor Yanukovich) will never give up national interests; this has become clear to our partners," the Energy Ministry quoted him as saying in a statement.
Ukraine depends heavily on Russian gas imports and has been trying for over a year to negotiate a lower price. But Moscow insists on getting a stake in the Ukrainian pipelines that tranship Russian gas to Europe and are regarded by Kiev as strategic.
The two sides plan to start the next round of talks on Jan. 15 and have pledged to avoid disruptions to European supplies, which have occurred during previous price disputes.
