Gazprom says agrees price model with Turkmenistan

MOSCOW, July 25 (Reuters) - Russian gas export monopoly Gazprom (GAZP.MM) said on Friday it has reached an agreement with Turkmenistan on key pricing principles for the company's gas imports from the Central Asian country, but gave no figure.

Gazprom, the world's largest gas producer, which supplies a quarter of Europe's gas needs, imports gas from Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan to meet growing demand at home and abroad.

Gazpom said earlier this month that its import bill for purchases from Central Asia may more than double next year and that it could raise its export price to Ukraine to more than $400 per 1,000 cubic metres from $179.5 now.

Europe is carefully watching pricing talks between Ukraine and Russia after a previous dispute led to supply disruptions to Europe, which imports much of its gas via Ukraine.

Turkmenistan has raised its price for gas supplies to Gazprom to $130 per tcm in the first half of this year and $150 in the second half, up from $100 last year.

(Reporting by Tanya Mosolova, editing by Anthony Barker)