You're reading: Yushchenko congratulates Yanukovych on being legally elected Ukrainian president

Ukrainian President Victor Yushchenko has phoned Regions Party leader Viktor Yanukovych to congratulate him on being legally elected Ukrainian president, the presidential press service reported on Saturday.

Yuschenko expressed hope that at the presidential post, Yanukovych would exert every effort to fulfill his major mission of uniting Ukraine. He expressed confidence that there currently was a good chance of "uniting the west and the east."

Yuschenko also wished Yanukovych "to defend Ukrainian interests and democratic traditions" at the presidential post.

The inauguration of the new Ukrainian president is slated for February 25.