Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych has demanded that new formats of cooperation with Russia be worked out in the near future.
"Relations with our biggest neighbor – the Russian Federation – remain a crucial aspect of Ukraine’s security policy. There is a need to develop new effective formats of cooperation with it [Russia] in the near future, including in security," Yanukovych said in his annual State of the Nation Address on Thursday.
However, Ukrainian-Russian contacts have been developing based on international recognition of Ukraine’s key role in global relations, he said.
Cooperation with Russia in security issues and cooperation with the European Union in crisis settlement is equally important to Ukraine, the president said.
