You're reading: Weimar Triangle foreign ministers hail new Ukrainian-Russian deal on Black Sea Fleet

he foreign ministers of the Weimar Triangle countries (Germany, France and Poland) have welcomed an agreement on the Black Sea Fleet signed by the Ukrainian and Russian presidents.

"The foreign ministers of the Weimar Triangle positively assessed the agreement signed by the presidents of Ukraine and Russia in Kharkiv on April 21 this year, as one that strengthens confidence and stability in the region," the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry’s press service reported on Tuesday.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Kostiantyn Hryschenko participated in a meeting of the Weimar Triangle foreign ministers in Bonn, Germany, on Tuesday, the press service said.

French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner said at the meeting that "the normalization of relations between Kyiv and Moscow undoubtedly meets European interests," while German Vice-Chancellor and Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle noted that the it was important for the EU that there was mutual understanding between Ukraine and Russia, as a way to prevent energy crises on the continent.

Hryschenko, in turn, said that the approximation to EU standards and orientation for EU membership remained a priority for Ukraine’s national development. At the same time, the ratification of the agreement on the Black Sea Fleet, in his opinion, indicates that Kyiv will no longer build its partnership with the West through confrontation with Russia.

"The minister said that Ukraine saw a solution to the key issues of social and economic development in a harmonious union of a deep partnership with Russia, along with an intensive and pragmatic dialog with the EU and the United States," the ministry said.

The Weimar Triangle foreign ministers also said that the EU had finally seen a reliable partner in Kyiv following the formation of the new government in Ukraine.

The ministry said that Hryschenko would participate in quadripartite talks in Bonn to discuss current issues of Ukraine’s dialog with the EU, including progress in the field of visa regime facilitation and the drafting of the EU-Ukraine Association Agreement. The Ukrainian foreign minister will also hold bilateral meetings with his German and Polish counterparts.