KIEV, Oct. 24 – Prime Minister Mykola Azarov said he hopes that gas tariffs for households will not be raised.

"We are set to agree with Russia on an acceptable price for gas. My last meeting with the Russian prime minister gives reason to believe that the agreement is rather close," he said an interview with Ukrainian television's 1+1 TV Channel late on Sunday, when asked when Ukrainians should expect a rise in gas tariffs.

"Therefore, we are not planning any increase in gas prices," Azarov said.

He said that gas tariffs would be increased only "in an extreme case, if the terrible gas price stipulated in the January 2009 contract is retained."