KIEV, Nov. 10 - Talks on gas supply terms between Ukraine and Russia have been at a technical stage since late September, when key agreements were already reached, Interfax news agency quoted Ukrainian Energy Minister Yuriy Boyko as saying on Thursday.

Ukraine says the current price of Russian gas, about $400 per 1,000 cubic meters, is too high and wants a new pricing formula, as well as the right to import less gas than stipulated by the existing deal signed in 2009.

President Viktor Yanukovych discussed the issue with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and Prime Minister Vladimir Putin on September 24 after which the sides announced "significant progress" but no concrete agreements.

On Thursday, Boyko said the sides were now working on details of the deal.

"On all the principal issues that had been discussed, we are carrying out technical work and implementation of these agreements," he said, Reuters reported.

Russian gas giant Gazprom said separately late on Wednesday its Chief Executive Alexei Miller had met Yanukovych in Kiev and the sides "expressed satisfaction with the current negotiation process."

Neither side has provided any details of the planned deal.

Ukraine depends heavily on Russian gas imports and subsidizes gas supplies to households and heating companies at a significant cost to the state budget.

The International Monetary Fund has long urged it to drop the subsidies and halted lending under a $15 billion program this year after the government refused to raise domestic gas prices.

Ukraine now hopes to regain access to IMF financing after agreeing a lower gas price with Russia, a move that would also improve its trade balance at a time when exports of steel, its key commodity, are suffering from the global economic slowdown.

The current deal, which ties the price of gas to that of oil and oil products, was reached after a bitter row which briefly disrupted supplies of Russian gas to Europe through Ukraine. (rt/ez)