"Negotiations on the price of deliveries of Uzbek gas for 2008 will take place in December", the official said on condition of anonymity. He said it was "premature" to reveal the level of the new tariffs the government wants to set.

Under the existing contract, Uzbekistan will sell to Russian gas giant Gazprom 9 billion cubic metres of gas in 2007 at US$100 per 1,000 cubic metres.

Russia has recently accepted a hike in gas tariffs from Turkmenistan.

Uzbekistan produces about 60 billion cubic metres of gas per year, of which 12 billion are exported mainly to Russia, but also to Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic and Tajikistan.

Gazprom needs to obtain gas supplies from Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan to fulfil its contracts for delivery to Europe and Ukraine.