KIEV, Sept. 4 ??“ Ukraine should before the end of September resume talks with Turkmenistan and Russia over supplies of natural gas to avoid gas shortages this year and to increase energy security, the government said Monday.

Ukraine faces a gap of 8 billion cubic meters of gas this year, or 10% of annual demand, after Turkmenistan, the country??™s biggest gas supplier, had suspended the supplies on Jan. 1.