TEHRAN, Dec. 31 (Mehr News Agency) -– Russia's current dispute with Ukraine over natural gas prices will give momentum to the conclusion of a deal based on which Iran will export its gas to Europe, noted here on Saturday, managing director of National Iranian Gas Export Co. (NIGEC) Rokneddin Javadi.

The bickering will not affect Iran's negotiations with Europe over the sale of its natural gas however, it will give fresh impetus to the export because, the European Union has always been looking for new ways to diversify its energy supply sources, the Iranian official said.

Referring to Iran's natural gas prices he commented that, "Iran's gas prices are determined based on the oil price fluctuation indexes. In other words, if the Russia-Ukraine dispute resulted in an increase in the world prices of the commodity, Iran would also revise its gas prices."

He also explained that Iran's negotiations with the European Union include both the export of the natural gas and the building of the gas pipeline to Europe.

The Russian Gas monopoly Gazprom has threatened to cut Ukraine's supplies altogether if new terms are not agreed in early January. It wants Ukraine to pay market rates and is seeking a huge gas price rise.

Russia wants to more than quadruple the price of supplies to the Ukrainian market, to between $220 and $230 per 1,000 cubic meters.