Ukraine has paid Russia part of its gas debt, and talks will continue next week to avert a gas shutdown to the crisis-hit country, EU Energy Commissioner Guenther Oettinger said Friday.

Ukraine has paid Russia part of its gas debt, and talks will continue next week to avert a gas shutdown to the crisis-hit country, EU Energy Commissioner Guenther Oettinger said Friday.

"We don't have a final deal yet but we have made progress," he said after mediating between Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak and his Ukrainian counterpart Yuriy Prodan, as well as both countries' energy companies, in Berlin.

It was the third Russia-Ukraine meeting aiming to resolve a bitter standoff between Moscow and its former Soviet satellite, held days before a deadline next Tuesday when Russia had threatened to cut off gas to Ukraine.

Amid the months-old Ukraine crisis, Russia and its energy giant Gazprom have demanded $5.17 billion (3.79 million euros) from cash-strapped Ukraine for back payment for past gas shipments and advances for Junedeliveries.

Oettinger said after their latest closed-door talks that Ukraine's Naftogaz had reported making an initial payment via a New York bank to Russia's Gazprom of $786 million dollars for March and April debts, and that talks would continue in Brussels Monday.

"The Russian partners are ready to continue talks on this basis," said Oettinger at the press conference.

Prodan confirmed the initial payment had been sent and added that "we are sure that the funds paid by us will arrive on Monday."