Premiers of Russia and Ukraine stand for more resolute actions in two countries' integration

Prime Minister of Ukraine Viktor Yanukovich comes out for more resolute joint moves for Russian-Ukrainian integration.

In the conversation with journalists held after the Russian-Ukrainian intergovernmental talks on Monday Yanukovich expressed the hope that the forthcoming February meeting of the bilateral intergovernment commission would produce concrete results to the benefit of the mutual interests.

On his part, Russian Premier Mikhail Kasyanov said that at the February 2003 meeting of the intergovernment commission which is headed by the Premiers of the two countries it is planned to sign several agreements. He expressed a hope for achieving progress in the major projects in the gas sphere, in trade relations, and in the questions of taxation.

Viktor Yanukovich is confident that Russia and Ukraine are duty bound to pool their efforts. "We see how competition has been mounting in the world, and on the world markets they are not looking forward to meeting either Russia, or Ukraine with open arms," he said.

On his part, Mikhail Kasyanov highly assessed the fact that the new Ukrainian Premier had arrived in Moscow so soon after his appointment. He views it as the striving of the Ukrainian leadership to boost interaction with Russia. As Kasyanov said, the leadership of Russia is also in every way interested in integration with Ukraine and in interaction in the economic and social spheres, as well as in the political sphere, international affairs in particular.