KIEV, June 17 – Ukraine and Russia will hold a meeting between June 26 and June 29 to discuss natural gas prices and supply volumes, Energy and Coal Industry Minister Volodymyr Demchyshyn said Wednesday.

The meeting, joined by the European Union, will be crucial for reaching a deal as the current agreement expires at the end of June.

“It was hard to agree on schedule, but the meeting is planned,” Demchyshyn said.

Ukraine seeks to negotiate a gas price for the third quarter that will be lower than $247 per 1,000 cubic meters, which Gazprom is currently charging Ukraine.