DUSHANBE, December 22 (RIA Novosti) - Tajikistan hopes Uzbekistan will agree to natural gas prices considerably lower than $300 per 1,000 cubic meters next year, the general director of Tajikistan's national gas company said on Monday.

Tajikgaz head Fatkhiddin Mukhsiddinov said Uzbekistan wanted to more than double natural gas prices for Tajikistan to $300 per 1,000 cubic meters next year. Uzbekistan is the sole supplier of natural gas to Tajikistan.

Mukhsiddinov said the Tajik government was considering several different proposals, "after which they will be submitted to the Uzbek side for consideration." He expressed the hope that final natural gas prices will be considerably lower for his republic.

Mukhsiddinov said that during talks in the Uzbek capital in early December, Tajikistan asked Uzbekistan to keep prices at the current year's level of $145 per 1,000 cu m, which is 50% higher than in 2007.

Gas production in Tajikistan falls well short of the country's needs. In January-November 2008, Tajikistan produced 14.7 million cubic metes of natural gas, about 7.5% less than in the same period last year. Over the same period, natural gas imports into the republic totaled 453.6 million cubic meters.

In 2009, Tajikgaz intends to increase natural gas imports into the republic to 550 million cubic meters.