The deadline for Ukraine's payment for natural gas supplied in December has been moved from January 7 to January 11, 2010, due to the New Year holidays, energy giant Gazprom said on Tuesday.

The announcement came after a meeting between Gazprom CEO Alexei Miller and the head of the Ukrainian national energy company Naftogaz, Oleh Dubyna.

During the meeting, Miller and Dubyna also discussed the volume of gas supplies and transit in the first quarter of 2010.

Ukraine, which transits 80% of Russian gas to Europe, will receive a total of 27 bcm in 2009, compared to an average of 55 bcm in the pre-crisis years.

Earlier this month, Naftogaz gave assurances that no new gas crisis with Russia was looming, as it had been paying for supplies on schedule.

Naftogaz and Russian gas monopoly Gazprom signed a 10-year contract in January, ending the New Year dispute and resuming supplies to and via Ukraine.

Kiev, which has so far paid 20% less than Russian gas consumers in Europe, will start paying the average European price from January 1.

MOSCOW, December 22 (RIA Novosti)