KIEV - UKRAINE will sign an agreement on independent monitors to verify flows of Russia gas through its territory to Europe 'as soon as possible' ,Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko said on Friday.

'We will sign such a protocol as soon as possible,' she told reporters after meeting Czech Prime Minister Mirek Topolanek.

Russian gas giant Gazprom slammed Ukraine's failure thus far to sign the agreement to allow independent monitoring of its transit of Russian gas.

'So far, the Ukrainian side has not signed the protocol for creation of a multilateral commission to monitor transit of gas through Ukrainian territory,' Gazprom spokesman Sergei Kupriyanov said in a statement.

He said that until the agreement was signed, the presence of EU gas experts in Kiev was legally meaningless.

'Until the protocol has been signed by all sides, these specialists do not have the status of observers. Furthermore, there is nothing to 'monitor' in Kiev.

'The monitoring work must take place at entry and exit points of Ukraine's gas transit system and in Ukraine's underground gas storage facilities.'

The resumption of delivery of Russian natural gas to Europe through pipelines on Ukraine's territory has been delayed by wrangling over the composition of an independent monitoring commission and terms of its access to installations.

Russia has said it is prepared to resume delivering gas immediately, provided Ukraine first signs the deal allowing international monitoring of the gas flowing through its pipelines.

Mr Topolanek, who met Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko and Ms Tymoshenko in Kiev, said afterwards that Russia, Ukraine and the EU were in agreement on the deal but admitted it had still not been signed.

Russia cut off gas supply to Ukraine on New Year's Day after the two ex-Soviet republics failed to come to terms on Ukraine's payment of arrears and prices for 2009.

A week later, Russia stopped pumping all gas to Europe through Ukraine, saying it had been forced to do so because Ukraine closed down all gas transit routes to Europe, triggering huge gas shortages in Europe.

Ms Tymoshenko said Russia on Friday proposed a new version of the protocol for the monitors, giving 'equal rights' to those from both Ukraine and Russia. -- AFP