President receives credentials

At the Mariinsky Palace, Ambassador Lillian de Torres Mugu of Peru and Ambassador Jean-Paul Veziant of France presented their credentials to President Victor Yushchenko, President's press office reported.

Then the Head of State conducted bilateral meetings with them.

Speaking with Veziant, Yushchenko discussed his upcoming visit to France on November 15-16. The Head of State said there he intended to discuss new stages of Ukrainian-French cooperation, particulalrly in the energy sector. He also stressed that a postponed energy forum was still on his agenda.

At his meeting with the Peru Ambassador, Yushchenko stressed that positive relations between the two countries should develop. The Foreign Minister of Peru is expected to visit Ukraine in 2006. Yushchenko said Ukraine was grateful to Peru for supporting our WTO integration. He is convinced that the two countries will soon sign a protocol on mutual access to markets of goods and services.

The sides also discussed ways to form an intergovernmental commission on trade and economic cooperation and spoke about cooperation in culture, science and many other fields.

Yushchenko invited President Alejandro Toledo of Peru to visit Ukraine.