Yanukovych sees weakening of Ukraine's dependence on gas imports without conflicts with partners

Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych has said that Ukraine's dependence on gas imports has become weaker.

"We have reduced our dependence on gas imports, and we did this without conflict with our partners and without extra turmoil," he told a Friday press conference at the Ukrainian House in Kyiv.

The president said that this had been a difficult problem that the current authorities inherited from its predecessors.

"As you know, our predecessors left us a contract under which Ukraine has to pay the highest price for gas in Europe," he said.

The head of state added that, nonetheless, the government had managed to keep the price of gas for Ukrainian consumers unchanged.