
On the instruction of President Viktor Yanukovych, Chief of Staff at
the Presidential Administration Serhiy Lyovochkin has met with
First Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation Igor Shuvalov, presidential press office reported.
Serhiy Lyovochkin said that Igor Shuvalov’s visit to Ukraine is a proof
that the dialogue between the Presidents and the Governments of Ukraine
and Russia, continues and is efficient. "An evidence of this is the
growth of trade turnover between our countries. Trade turnover growth
produces creation of jobs, salaries, and development of enterprises,"
Serhiy Lyovochkin said.
The parties have discussed the agenda
of Ukrainian-Russian cooperation in the context of the eighth meeting of
the Committee on Economic Cooperation, which is a body of the
Ukrainian-Russian Intergovernmental Commission, scheduled for April.
Special attention has been dedicated to further expanding economic
cooperation, particularly in transport, energy, aerospace, and
shipbuilding industries.
The status of implementation of the agreements on common integration projects already reached has been analyzed too.
The parties have underscored the necessity of finding mutually
acceptable ways to eliminate the existing problems in the area of trade,
and strict compliance with the directions of the two Presidents to
create favorable conditions for crossing of the Ukrainian-Russian state
border.
Serhiy Lyovochkin and Igor Shuvalov have underscored
the importance of adequate preparation for the fifth regular meeting of
the Ukrainian-Russian Intergovernmental Commission to be held in the
first half of 2011.
Igor Shuvalov has also expressed
satisfaction with the development of bilateral cooperation, including
with the growth of trade turnover between Ukraine and Russia.
According to Igor Shuvalov, Ukrainian-Russian economic cooperation
should be "multidirectional" – from agriculture to global security
problems.
"Since the problem of global food security comes
first, food prices are growing rapidly. That is tangible not only to the
CIS countries, but also to the EU countries and other states...” Igor
Shuvalov said. According to him, these factors induce Russia and Ukraine
to seek new opportunities for cooperation on the global food market.