A memorandum of understanding on gas supplies from Slovakia to Ukraine is to be signed on Monday, Slovak Economy Minister Tomas Malatinsky announced after holding three-way talks with European Commissioner for Energy Gunther Oettinger and Ukraine's Minister of Fuel and Energy Yuriy Prodan here on Thursday.

"We believe some minor changes to the memorandum in the making will still have to be made so that it can be signed by both sides -that is between Slovak gas-pipeline operator Eustream and energy company Ukrtransgaz - here in Bratislava on Monday," said Malatinsky.

He added that the talks involved debate on all kinds of issues that may arise in the reverse gas flow to Ukraine. "We're working on an option of the so-called Vojany connection that legal-wise can be realised within a relatively short timeframe in two stages," said Malatinsky.

This option, based on an older pipeline cosntructed for supplying power plant in Eastern Slovakia city of Vojany, would enable a "relatively decent" volume of gas to be transported to Ukraine, he added. In this context, Oettinger noted that this contingency doesn't require approval from Gazprom.

"We've also discussed the possible use of the so-called 'large reverse'. This isn't feasible from the legal point of view right now, though - and is pre-conditioned by talks with Gazprom or Russia," said the Slovak minister.

Prodan said that Ukraine is committed to having the memorandum, including the additions, signed on Monday and to enable the reverse gas flow post-haste.

Kiev began emergency talks on assistance with the gas supplies with its neighbors in the European Union (EU) after Russian gas company Gazprom in early April increased the gas prices for Ukraine to almost double the original price.

At the moment, Ukraine imported half of its gas supplies from Russia.