UPDATE 1-Russia, Turkmenistan finalising pipeline deal

(Writes through with Gazprom comments)

By Marat Gurt

ASHGABAT, Nov 23 (Reuters) - Russia and Turkmenistan are close to finalising an agreement on a new natural gas pipeline but have yet to agree on the price of supplies through an existing route, officials said on Friday.

Russian Prime Minister Viktor Zubkov, in the Turkmen capital Ashgabat on a visit, said Russia and Turkmenistan were both committed to the Moscow-backed Caspian Gas Pipeline, ending months of uncertainty surrounding the project.

"We have agreed to sign the deal on the Caspian Gas Pipeline in the near future in order to speed up its construction," Zubkov told reporters after talks with Turkmen President Kurbanguly Berdymukhamedov.

The proposed pipeline, designed to connect Central Asian gas reserves with global markets through Russian territory, has been delayed due to a pricing dispute. The original agreement had been due in September.

Russia's Gazprom (GAZP.MM) said separately that Turkmenistan had asked it to pay at least 30 percent more for its gas in 2008. The current price of gas, supplied through an existing Turkmenistan-Russia pipeline, is $100 per 1,000 cubic metres.

Gazprom did not say whether it was ready to pay more. It said negotiations would continue next week.

Gazprom chief executive Alexei Miller told reporters that Gazprom might raise its export gas price to Europe to $354 per 1,000 cubic metres. Gazprom had previously forecast this year's average price for its gas at $265 per tcm.