KIEV, Oct. 8 - Ukraine and Russia are discussing setting up a joint gas company, President Viktor Yanukovych said on Thursday in an interview with the French newspaper Le Figaro during a visit to Paris.

"We are discussing with Russia the creation of a joint company, but that does not mean a merger of the two structures," Reuters reported citing Yanukovych who referred to the Ukrainian gas company Naftogaz and Russia's state-run energy giant, Gazprom.

Russia wants access to the management of Ukrainian pipelines, while Ukraine wants to be able to extract gas in Russia and transport it to Ukraine, he said.

"We are ready to discuss these questions with Russia," Yanukovych added.

"It is entirely likely that Russia and Ukraine will agree to modernize our pipelines together, including through a common management of the new parts of this gas transport system," he said.

Asked if creating an EU-Ukraine-Russia gas consortium was still a possibility, and if France could play a role, Yanukovych said talks were under way and Russian and European partners had been asked for their views.