Officials from Ukraine 's state energy company Naftogaz will head to Moscow next week to try to resolve a dispute over a $7 billion bill it received from Russia 's OAO Gazprom (GAZP.RS) for gas Ukraine didn't take in 2012, news agency Interfax cites Russia 's ambassador in Kiev as saying Friday.

Ambassador Mikhail Zurabov said he was hopeful the dispute would be settled out of court.

Earlier this week, Ukraine 's Foreign Minister Leonid Kozhara said his country wouldn't pay the bill despite Moscow 's insistence that Kiev is obliged to pay for the gas under a "take-or-pay" clause in the contract.

Naftogaz said Thursday it had responded to the bill from Gazprom and that all questions over the natural gas contract between the two countries "will be resolved according to its terms."

Ukraine , one of the largest consumers of Russian gas, has for months tried to secure a discount on prices, which officials say are too high and are squeezing the country's economy. But Moscow has refused, demanding closer economic and political ties in return.

Disputes over price and other contract terms between the former Soviet neighbors have twice led to supply disruptions to Europe since 2006.

Russia supplies about a quarter of the European Union's gas needs, with more than half of this flowing though Ukraine .
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