Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin is visiting the Ukrainian capital Kyiv on Wednesday to take part in the latest meeting of the economic cooperation committee under the two countries' intergovernmental commission.
Putin’s press secretary, Dmitry Peskov, said the prime minister’s visit to Kyiv will begin with a meeting with Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych, followed by a short one with Prime Minister Mykola Azarov.
After these interpersonal meetings, the committee session will begin, and the two prime ministers are expected to hold a press conference afterwards.
Peskov said the question of supplying natural gas to Ukraine could arise during the talks. "As to the question of gas shipments, this subject will figure in the event of problems with the Ukrainian side," he said. Russia will build its position on this matter on the foundation of extant agreements, he said.
Ukraine has already signaled the intent to raise the gas-supply issue. "The intergovernmental commission will be sitting. Naturally, the questions of gas pricing and [pricing] formula changes will be raised," Ukrainian First Deputy Prime Minister Andriy Kliuyev said recently.
A report by Russian Energy Minister Sergei Shmatko will be presented at the committee session, Peskov said. "There will then be discussed and adopted by the committee a protocol decision on the matter of cooperation in the fuel and energy complex," he said.
Furthermore, issues of working together in atomic energy and nuclear materials will be addressed during the session. "There will be discussion of industrial policy, questions of transportation, the aviation industry, space, the agricultural complex, science and technology, inter-regional and cross-border cooperation," Peskov said.
A report on trade and economic cooperation will also be presented. "There will be a protocol decision for virtually all areas," Peskov said.
Ukraine’s cabinet of ministers is readying a package of bilateral docutments for signature during Putin’s visit. Russia’s Ambassador to Kyiv Mikhail Zurabov said that "during the course of the visit five intergovernmental agreements and five agreements of a commercial nature will be signed."
