BRUSSELS, January 21. /TASS/. Ukraine's Naftogaz and Russia's Gazprom can clinch a settlement deal, Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak told reporters on Monday.

"Gazprom is working [on claims], and we expect consideration by an appeal instance in the Swedish court in near future. This is a critical moment because the balance of interests should be restored in the first instance in order to progress in discussing specific parameters. There is an opportunity also to proceed with discussing, for example, the agreement between two business companies," he said.

Further detailed discussion of the Russian gas transit via Ukraine after 2019 is possible only after settlement of litigation between Gazprom and Naftogaz, Novak added.

"We certainly believe that we need to settle problems and legal proceedings that currently exist, in order to discuss specific details of the contract [for Russian gas transit via Ukraine after 2019]," Novak added.