KIEV, July 2 – Central Asian countries could increase the prices of exported natural gas to the European level in 2009 if Russia, which controls supplies of Asian gas to Ukraine, agrees to increase the prices, according to Ivan Diya, advisor to Naftogaz Ukrayiny’s chairman.

"The declaration that Central Asian countries in 2009 could increase the price of gas for Ukraine to $400 per thousand cubic meters under their own initiative is not really true, the key player in the gas game was Russia and it would remain it," reads a report of Kiev-based Q-club international energy club, citing Diyak, who is a member of the club.