You're reading: Azarov shares alarm on Ukrainian-Russian economic realations

Economic relations between Ukraine and Russia should not be of a situational nature, according to Ukrainian Premier Mykola Azarov, who shares the alarm of a group of Russian economists due to the possible worsening of trade and economic relations between the countries.

"I share the alarm of these outstanding economists, but I want to say that economic relations between Ukraine and Russia are a deeper and larger factor than the economic situation," he said, opening a cabinet meeting on Wednesday.

He said that some large-scale projects on cooperation and the integration of the two countries in aircraft building, engineering, transport infrastructure, and high technologies have not yet got beyond the discussion stage.

"Russia imposes restrictions on supplies of such sensitive goods for Ukraine as metal products, pipes, meat, milk and sugar to the territory of the Customs Union," he added.

Azarov said that despite the expected growth in trade between Ukraine and Russia this year to $50 billion, the balance is negative for Kyiv due to the jump in the price of gas.

He said that he had accepted a proposal from Russian experts to discuss the economic and political scenario on development of relations between two countries in Kyiv on Wednesday.

"The task is to form rather clear, indisputably strategic goals for Ukrainian-Russian cooperation that are recognized by society, … define values and work for a scenario of mutually beneficial economic development," he said, commenting on the future meeting.

Recently a group of Russian economists sent a letter to Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin in which they expressed alarm at the present falloff in economic cooperation between Russia and Ukraine.