Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko and the chief executive of Russian natural gas monopoly Gazprom (RTS: GAZP), Alexei Miller, met on Tuesday to discuss plans for gas imports by Ukraine in 2009 and consider long-term gas trade agreements.

Gazprom and Ukrainian national oil and gas company Naftogaz Ukrainy "have developed a very constructive relationship and have signed all the [agreements]," Tymoshenko said at the meeting, held in Kyiv.

The premier said Naftogaz Ukrainy and Gazprom had done their best to prevent Ukraine from building up gas payment arrears. The two companies "have supplied Ukraine with 8 billion cubic meters of gas in gas depots," she said.

"Thank you for coming to Kyiv to solve all our problems," Tymoshenko said.

Miller credited Ukraine with maintaining "very constructive" contacts with Gazprom and said the two countries had been able to solve recently what were "quite difficult" problems.

"We are having an open and friendly dialogue" with Naftogaz Ukrainy, and Ukraine is repaying its arrears both with money and with gas, he said.

Miller also said the transmission of Gazprom-provided gas to Europe through Ukrainian territory and the pumping of Gazprom gas into Ukrainian underground depots had produced "good results."

Gazprom is maintaining a permanent dialogue with Naftogaz Ukrainy, he said.