KIEV, July 3 - Prime Minister Mykola Azarov said Tuesday he has “no doubts” that Ukraine and Russia will make progress in upcoming talks over lower natural gas prices later this month.

Russian President Vladimir Putin is expected to travel to Ukraine on July 12 for the talks with his Ukrainian counterpart Viktor Yanukovych.

“We are working very intensively, first of all at the level of the president,” Azarov said at a meeting with lawmakers on Tuesday. “It’s hard to say how much progress we are going to make, but I have no doubts that there will be progress.”