Medvedev, Yanukovich to meet in Sochi

MOSCOW, August 11 (Itar-Tass) — Russian President Dmitry Medvedev will have a meeting with Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovich in Sochi on Thursday, reports the presidential press service.

According to the press service, “the talks between the heads of state will be the continuation of the active political dialogue between Russia and Ukraine”.

It is planned at the regular Russian-Ukrainian summit to discuss a broad range of the most pressing questions of bilateral and regional agenda. Considerable attention will be given to integration processes, taking place over the space of the Commonwealth of Independent States with the participation of Russia and Ukraine.

The sides suppose to touch on the topic of the Customs Union of Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan and the United Economic Space of the three countries.

The Russian and Ukrainian presidents are expected to examine progress in fulfilling the present understandings on implementing major projects in various spheres of cooperation: in energy, including the atomic one, trade, space explorations, aviation, shipbuilding, transport, agriculture and military-technical cooperation.

Priority attention is supposed to be given to prospects for boosting trade and economic relations. In January-May, Russian-Ukrainian trade totalled around 20.4 billion US dollars, jumping up by 57.4 percent. Russian export amounted to 13 billion dollars (60.3-percent rise), import – 7.35 billion dollars (52.3-percent rise). Thus, trade may edge up on 50 billion dollars by the year-end.

The issue of creating favourable conditions for business structures of the two countries and solution of difficult questions of investment cooperation may become an important item at the talks.

The presidents plan at the meeting to discuss prospects for enlarging inter-regional and border cooperation and progress in preparing the Second Russian-Ukrainian Inter-Regional Economic Forum, including the state of implementing joint plans, aimed at creating more favourable conditions for crossing the border for citizens of the two countries.

The presidents are also expected to mull over questions of consolidation of legislation for the stay of the Russian Black Sea Fleet in Ukraine as well as various aspects of bilateral cooperation in the cultural and humanitarian sphere.

It is supposed that the Sochi summit will be an important stage for preparing a regular meeting of the Russian-Ukrainian Interstate Commission.

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