"New export prices on Central Asian gas will be announced in the near future. Within the month a contract with Gazprom will be signed," the source said.

So far the sides have been discussing one-year contracts, he said.

It was reported last week that the heads of the gas production companies in Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan announced they would raise prices on the gas they export to the levels prevailing in Europe.

Gazprom currently pays US$180 per 1,000 cubic meters for gas from Kazakhstan’s Karachaganak field, US$130 per 1,000 cubic meters for gas from Turkmenistan (it will pay US$150 in the second half), and US$130 per 1,000 cubic meters for gas from Uzbekistan (US$160). Switching to European levels would mean price hikes of between 50% and 100%.