MOSCOW - The Russian and Ukrainian presidents have agreed to instruct their governments to complete the work on gas cooperation issues.
"Let us run over the key points and then give our governments the instructions to complete this work, if we agree on all the existing conditions," Russian President Dmitry Medvedev told his Ukrainian counterpart Viktor Yanukovych at a meeting late last night.
"It is very important for this work to be completed," Yanukovych said. "We are set not just to complete these talks but also shift them into a medium term so that we can resolve some of the issues now and make strategic decisions, and subsequently deepen the issues of cooperation in the gas sector," the Ukrainian president said.
"There are various approaches to how Russia and Ukraine can partner in this sphere," Medvedev said. "As regards specific points, we could start these talks, invite colleagues who are in charge of these issues, and subsequently this subject must be continued by our governments," the Russian president said.
The two countries’ governments have set up working groups which are negotiating the key points of the gas cooperation, Yanukovych recalled.
The Ukrainian president also thanked his Russian counterpart for organizing a CIS summit in Moscow. He also asked Medvedev not to weaken the attention towards the question of creating a free trade area.
"It is very good, but we need to think of synchronizing our steps on ratification," he said.
"You can rest assured," Medvedev said.
"Please take charge of this work," Yanukovych told Medvedev.
Yanukovych described as positive the decision to create a free trade area within the CIS.
"The fact that you took such a historic decision is very good. This inspires everyone. But we have to think how to synchronize our actions on the ratification [of the document]," he said.
