The relations between Ukraine and Belarus will always be good
neighborly, said President Viktor Yanukovych at the beginning of his
meeting with President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko in Minsk.
"Our policy will be good neighborly, we will always conduct a
transparent policy,” he said, presidential press office reported.
Viktor Yanukovych noted that Ukraine and Belarus have always had and
will have interesting targets for cooperation, both bilateral and
international. "We always knew how to unite in order to protect national
interests," he said.
Among the common problems of the two
states President Yanukovych named joint fighting consequences of the
Chernobyl tragedy. He said he had visited the NPP recently and saw that
there are still gaps to be filled in the program of making the Chernobyl
NPP safe.
"There are many unresolved issues, such as lack of
funding," said Viktor Yanukovych. He informed his Belarusian colleague
on the initiative to hold a summit in 2011 dedicated to the 25th
anniversary of the Chernobyl disaster and invited Alexander Lukashenko
to take part in it.
"These are pressing issues and we must
jointly initiate their consideration and resolve them," he said.
At the meeting Viktor Yanukovych also brought up the question of
finalizing delimitation of Belarusian-Ukrainian border. He thanked
Alexander Lukashenko for the Belarusian Parliament ratifying the
demarcation agreement.
"We should discuss the issue of border
interregional cooperation. The development of our interregional
cooperation will surely boost trade. It also will help attract
investment," said the President of Ukraine.
Besides, President
Yanukovych praised efforts made by Belarus to harmonize its legislation
with the European and country’s steps aimed at joining the Council of
Europe. "I know that you're making consecutive steps to join the Council
of Europe. Ukraine in this respect has advanced further, so I think our
experience could be of interest for Belarus," he said.
In
this regard he reminded that Ukraine next year will take presidency over
the Council of Europe and "new opportunities may open in this context”.
The President also stressed that Ukraine is already adapting
national legislation to European standards.
Another goal,
important for both states, President Yanukovych named accessing the
European markets.
From his part President Alexander Lukashenko
said he was glad to welcome the President of Ukraine in Viktor
Yanukovych’s ancestors homeland. He noted that back when he had visited
Kyiv, sides agreed to hold a meeting to approve the agenda of bilateral
relations between Ukraine and Belarus.
"The development of
Ukrainian-Belarusian relations roadmap is the question that concerns the
interests of our states and our peoples," said Alexander Lukashenko. He
noted that the relations between the two states should aim at providing
their peoples with worthy life conditions.
"So that we, as
European states, did not differ from those European countries, which we
are bordered by," said the President of Belarus.
Speaking
about the issue of delimitation of the Ukrainian-Belarusian border,
Alexander Lukashenko said: "We have ratified the border agreement, so I
think that now we should take the appropriate measures. The measures,
which would show real intentions of Ukraine and Belarus.” He also
expressed hope that the two Presidents would meet again soon, including
at the border of the two countries.
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