MOSCOW, January 18 (RIA Novosti) - Gazprom...

"We are working to ensure that the documents are signed on Monday," Gazprom spokesman Sergei Kupriyanov said.

The ceremony of signing the gas deal is expected to be attended by Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin and his Ukrainian counterpart Yulia Tymoshenko.

The Russian and Ukrainian premiers announced early on Sunday after intense talks in Moscow that they had reached a deal making it possible to restart gas supplies to Europe. The premiers instructed Gazprom and Naftogaz to prepare and sign a formal agreement.

Putin said after the talks that Ukraine will pay the European price for Russian natural gas with a 20% discount this year while Kiev will not increase the current transit fees it receives for Russian gas.

From 2010, Ukraine will pay the full market price for Russian natural gas while Russia will pay European market pries for transit, Putin said.

Ukraine paid $179.5 per 1,000 cubic meters for Russian natural gas in 2008, which is less

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