Ukraine's cooperation with the Customs Union of Russia, Belarus, and Kazakhstan is vital to the country's economy, and there is no politics in it, Ukrainian Prime Minister Mykola Azarov has said.
“What do we supply to the Customs Union? These are products we cannot sell on other markets. These are mechanical engineering products, our pipes, and so on. So, for our economy it is vital to agree and cooperate with the member states of the Customs Union, and there is no politics here,” he said in an interview with Ukrainian television channels on Thursday.
He criticized political speculations on the issue and attempts to compare Ukraine’s cooperation with the Customs Union and the European Union.
Azarov added that two years ago there was no such notion as the Customs Union (Russia, Kazakhstan, and Belarus) and Ukraine oriented at bilateral agreements that regulated trade between these countries. Today all of these bilateral agreements have lost effect and Ukraine has to build mutual relations with the Customs Union.
Azarov mentioned his recent conversation with Russian Premier Dmitry Medvedev on December 26 that was focused on access of Ukrainian pipes to the Russian market.
“We held talks and at the end of the conversation Dmitry Anatolyevich he told me that we should work with Kazakh and Belarus counterparts to have their support to our agreements,” he said.
The full interview will be broadcast by the First National Channel at 1955
