Progress in the Gas Spat?

Ukraine’s Prime Minister, Mykola Azarov, hopes a new gas pricing formula with Russia will be reached in October.

"We are setting the goal of completing negotiations with the Russian party to revise gas contracts in October," Azarov said on Tuesday, adding the Russian position was "constructive."

Talks between Presidents Dmitry Medvedev and Viktor Yanukovich held this past weekend reportedly made "significant progress," a view shared in official statements from both parties.

Last weekend Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovich and the Russian authorities held gas talks in Moscow, after which the Russian president's press service said that considerable progress had been reached during the negotiations.

"The guidelines of the negotiation process are acceptable for us but there will be talks. We believe that our partners should listen to our arguments attentively," Azarov said.