KIEV, March 21 – Russian Prime Minister Dmitri Medvedev said Thursday Ukraine should quit the European Energy Community for Gazprom to participate in a joint venture to operate Ukrainian pipelines moving Russian gas to Europe.

The joint venture is believed to be the key for Ukraine to reach an agreement with Russia that would lower Russian natural gas prices later this year.

“The alliance between Russia and Ukraine [on the gas pipeline JV] can be on condition that Ukraine withdraws from a number of respective institutions, including the energy union,” Medvedev told reporters. “That’s if Ukraine is interested.”