KIEV, Nov. 1 – Talks on setting up a joint venture in the gas sector between Ukrainian and Russian gas monopolies are proceeding without haste, Prime Minister Mykola Azarov said.

"No one is making anyone hurry. Everybody is taking their time, and we're calmly working in that direction," he said at a press conference in Kiev.

According to Azarov, the sides are doing "very serious work to evaluate assets" from both Russia and Ukraine.