Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych wants to discuss seriously the issue of trade and economic relations and the issue of natural gas supplies with Russian Premier Dmitry Medvedev.
“I’d like to discuss seriously those issues that are painful to us, and first of all, those related to trade and the economy. Of course, frankly speaking, I’m still serious concerned about the gas problem,” Yanukovych said at a meeting with Medvedev in Kyiv on Wednesday.
The Ukrainian president also said that the Ukrainian-Russian Interstate Commission is ready to decide on a number of issues. The president expressed hope that the sides would agree on all important problems.
Yanukovych also said he hopes that a meeting of the Russian premier with his Ukrainian counterpart will be effective.
“We, as strategic partners, should of course think over our joint decisions on the issue of the integration of our economies,” the president said.
Medvedev, in turn, also expressed readiness to discuss the gas issue with the Ukrainian side.
“It’s important to move forward in the directions of cooperation that we’ve discussed at the presidential and governmental levels, [I mean] the issues of technical cooperation, the creation of new plants, and putting an end to difficult issues related to energy cooperation, including the gas issue. I’m sure that we will raise it today and, of course, I will continue the dialogue with Premier Mykola Azarov,” Medvedev said.
