You're reading: Russian, Ukrainian premiers to discuss cooperation in gas sector, other areas

Moscow, June 6 (Interfax) - Prime Minister Vladimir Putin will discuss cooperation in the gas sector and compliance with mutual obligations in talks with his Ukrainian counterpart Mykola Azarov in Moscow on Tuesday.

The Russian-Ukrainian Interstate Commission’s Economic Cooperation Committee is expected to convene in Moscow on June 7, the Russian government’s press service told Interfax.

Despite positive trends in bilateral trade and economic cooperation – trade expanded by more than 70% in the first quarter of 2011, reaching $12 billion – there are problems which need to be resolved in Russian-Ukrainian relations.

"Among the long overdue issues are discrepancies in Russia and Ukraine’s trade regimes in the context of international agreements on free trade, Ukraine’s unlawful practice of limiting the access of Russian goods to its market, and discrimination against Russian investors on the Ukrainian market, even though Russia’s overall capital investment in Ukraine has topped $1 billion, it said.

"Some speculate about ‘unfair’ Russian-Ukrainian agreements, about the need to revise the price of natural gas shipped to Ukraine in favor of Kyiv, and also the terms of the Russian Black Sea Fleet’s presence in Ukraine," the press service said.

In the mean time, Russia counts on a constructive exchange of views on the entire spectrum of pressing issues of Russian-Ukrainian trade and economic cooperation with a prospect of forging mutually advantageous solutions.

"The Russian and Ukrainian prime ministers are expected to discuss the most urgent aspects of Russian-Ukrainian trade and economic cooperation, among them ways to broaden trade, as well as the current state and prospects of cooperation in the energy, transportation, space exploration, and aircraft and ship-building sectors, and in implementing infrastructure projects," the press service said.