KIEV, July 7 ??“ Regions Party leader Viktor Yanukovych, designated as the next prime minister by the pro-Russian coalition, said he plans to resume talks with Turkmenistan over direct supplies of Central Asian natural gas to Ukraine.

Turkmenistan has last week refused to resume gas supplies to Ukraine unless Kiev agrees to a 67% hike in gas prices, the hike that Ukrainian officials said makes this gas prohibitively expensive.