Prime Minister Vladimir Putin met with Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko in Minsk
Transcript of the beginning of the meeting:
Vladimir Putin: Ms Tymoshenko, I am really happy to meet with you here in Minsk. It is an excellent opportunity to talk not only about CIS affairs but also to exchange opinions on bilateral issues, both current and future. We have a great deal to discuss. Our economic cooperation has been developing steadily. Ukraine has recently joined the World Trade Organisation, and we have a number of issues to discuss in this connection. You said that you are ready to launch these talks. I hope they will be fruitful for both parties.
Yulia Tymoshenko: Yes, I am sure they will. The visit of your governmental delegation led by Viktor Zubkov was very successful. We discussed all the key issues and signed very important agreements. Both parties respect them, because they reflect a strategy that allows us to start working out action plans for each strategic goal. I believe our bilateral relations will become more dynamic. That is why today's meeting is important.
Vladimir Putin: We have many areas of cooperation. Some Russian companies cannot operate without the assistance of their Ukrainian partners. This is also true of Ukrainian businesses. We must support this cooperation at the governmental level to promote business. This does not include only the energy industry, but also aircraft engineering, shipbuilding and our military-industrial complex. They all are very important spheres of cooperation. I would like to thank you especially for your quick solution of the gas and energy debts. We are grateful for the decision made by the Ukrainian Government. Also, thank you for the agreements. We understand Ukrainian authorities' intentions and wishes. We also understand and share your concerns and are ready to have a constructive dialogue on all these issues. So I take this opportunity to ask you to instruct the relevant authorities to solve the issues of financing in a timely manner, because otherwise these debts will be accruing.
Yulia Tymoshenko: Mr Putin, I want to thank you, because after your meetings with the President and with me, you did your best to solve these problems in a mutually beneficial way, and we worked out a cooperative plan for this year. Now we are looking forward to talks on a strategic agreement for gas supplies. We all need an understanding of the intentions and of the pricing policy. We realise that sooner or later we will have to switch to market prices, and a strategic agreement would be a stabilising factor for the whole region.
Vladimir Putin: We are ready to start working on it as well as to discuss other issues. We have just discussed food security with our colleagues. I do not like to use such words as "security" lightly, but taking into account the alarming situation on the world's food markets, this issue has become really sensitive. Back in the Soviet times and today, Ukraine has always been the granary for the post-Soviet territory. We know that no country in the world is completely secure in this respect. I remember a year ago Ukraine was hit by drought, and it turned to Russia for help. This shows that we should develop cooperation in this and other areas, and to help each other in hard times. It will be beneficial for both our countries.
Yulia Tymoshenko: Yes, we fully agree.
