The law on principles of Ukraine's domestic and foreign policy it adopted in 2010, which declared its non-aligned status, has provided conditions for the country's unimpeded cooperation with Russia, the United States, and the European Union, Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych has said.
"By assuming this position, Ukraine has set preconditions for good and unimpeded cooperation with all of the leading countries, including its strategic partners, like Russia, the United States or the EU," Yanukovych said at the Ukrainian-Vietnamese business forum in Hanoi on Saturday.
"We have radically changed the atmosphere of Ukrainian-Russian relations and have brought them to the level of real strategic partnership," he said.
"Non-aligned status is an objective need for new Ukraine, which is dictated by the contemporary geopolitical reality. By deciding not to join military alliances, we both alleviated significant tensions surrounding this issue at home and made a step toward improving security in all of Europe," Yanukovych said.
