Russian, Ukrainian Foreign Ministers Satisfied With Bilateral Relations Development In 2001

Foreign ministers of Russia and Ukraine, Igor Ivanov and Anatoly Zlenko, made a joint statement on Friday on the results of bilateral Russian-Ukrainian cooperation in 2001. The Russian Foreign Ministry's department of information and press reported that the document expressed satisfaction with the state of development of relations in 2001. The statement also stressed that necessity "to strengthen strategic partnership, to form relations between the two states on the basis of equal rights and mutual benefits in the spirit of friendship, good neighbourliness and mutual understanding, on principles of international law supremacy." The ministers were of the opinion that it was important to strengthen relations between Russia and Ukraine "to create a single European environment of security, trust and stable economic growth".