Kiev, June 13 (IANS): Ukraine is ready to compromise to resolve its natural gas supply dispute with Russia, Naftogaz Andrey Kobolev, head of the state-run energy company, said here Friday.
"The Ukrainian side is ready to continue talks between Naftogaz and (Russian gas supplier) Gazprom in a constructive way," Kobolev told a press conference.
In a bid to resolve the dispute, Ukraine was willing to pay a "compromise temporary price" of $326 per 1,000 cubic meters for Russian gas deliveries for the next 18 months, Kobolev said, Xinhua reported.
In addition, Kiev would pay off a $1.9 billion gas debt to Russia if an agreement on the temporary price was achieved, he said.
Moscow currently charges Ukraine $485 for 1,000 cubic meters of gas, but Kiev claims that 268 dollars is fair.
Earlier this week, Ukraine's Prime Minister Arseny Yatsenyuk said his country had rejected the Moscow's offer of a $100 discount for gas. It wanted a complete revision of its gas supply deal with Russia and would not be swayed by offers of discounts.
The two sides have been locked in a dispute for three years over the contract, signed in 2009, under which they agreed to tie the price of gas to the international spot price for oil.