KIEV, July 26 - Prime Minister Mykola Azarov has pointed to some positive aspects of the complex gas negotiations with Russia, for instance, the Ukrainian decision to save energy.

"Should our [Ukraine-Russia] economic relations be pragmatic or not? Certainly, they should. Pragmatism is necessary in reasonable, normal amounts, and that should not dishearten us. For instance, we started paying high gas prices and immediately had to start saving energy. That is, the complex gas relations with Russia prompted a practical decision extremely important for our economy," he said in an interview published by the Russian edition of Zavtra on Wednesday.