You're reading: Kyiv hopes for broader access for Ukrainian goods to Chinese market, says premier

Kyiv hopes that Ukrainian goods, services and technologies will receive broader access to the Chinese market, Ukrainian Prime Minister Mykola Azarov has said.

“Last year, bilateral trade exceeded $10 billion… I should say that in our trade and economic relations the scale tipped in favor of China. Chinese imports exceed our exports by about $2.5 billion. We have to think together how to adjust this balance of payments in our trade,” Azarov said at a meeting with the leader of the Communist Party of China, Liu Yunshan, in Kyiv on Friday.

The Ukrainian prime minister noted the importance of the signing of two bilateral documents by Ukraine and China – a treaty of friendship and cooperation between Ukraine and China and a program for the development of the strategic partnership between Ukraine and China for 2013-2017.

“The signing of these two important documents will allow us to lay the foundation for the development of our relations in the coming years. Ukraine has worked through these documents and submitted them to China. And we hope that these two documents will be signed during the visit of our president to China at the end of this year,” Azarov said.

According to him, Ukraine is interested in cooperation with China in aviation industry and mechanical engineering.