KIEV, July 18 ??“ Gazprom, the Russian gas monopoly, will boost natural gas supplies to Europe via Ukraine to 123 billion cubic meters next year, according to an agreement signed by Gazprom and Naftogaz Ukrayiny, a Naftogaz official said Monday.

Ukraine currently ships 112bcm/year of Russian gas to Europe, but the shipments in 2005 are likely to reach 120bcm/year, Oleksiy Ivchenko, the head of Naftogaz, said.