KIEV, May 18 ??“ The Ukrainian government instructed the Fuel and Energy Ministry to draft a price forecast for natural gas to be imported to Ukraine in 2008 in order to calculate the expenditures of the 2008 state budget.

The ministry was given to weeks to prepare the report.

"We were officially instructed by the cabinet to draft a forecast for the Economy Ministry. We have started work on this task, and I think we will submit the valid forecast in the time given," Energy Minister Yuriy Boiko said during a press conference in Kiev on Thursday.