OREANDA-NEWS. The talks between the presidents of Belarus and Ukraine, which took place on 20 January in Chernigov, gave a good impetus to the intensification of the bilateral relations in the trade and economic area, reported the Official website http://president.gov.by.

The heads of state held substantial talks and reached agreements on a wide range of big mutually beneficial projects. The sides identified the measures to maintain the dynamism of the trade and economic relationship in the conditions of the world financial and economic crisis. The legal framework of Belarusian-Ukrainian cooperation was reinforced by new documents. Urgent border cooperation issues were resolved.

These are the results of the talks between President Alexander Lukashenko and President Viktor Yushchenko of Ukraine, which took place on 20 January in Chernigov.

Speaking of the talks, the Belarusian President said they had been substantial, the sides had resolved quite a number of issues the two countries had faced, including many issues that had been piling up for years. The premiers of Belarus and Ukraine are to meet within the next ten days to formalize all the agreements reached by the presidents.

A one-on-one meeting between the presidents was then followed by enlarged talks. The sides signed a number of joint documents summarising the results of the talks.

The main theme of the Belarusian-Ukrainian summit was further expansion of trade and economic cooperation in the conditions of the world financial and economic crisis.

Speaking of the political dialogue between the two countries, Alexander Lukashenko said Belarus had never had, and never would have, any problems with Ukraine, even more so at the level of people’s diplomacy. ‘We have very good relations with Ukraine, and we will maintain them. Belarus has no allergy neither to the state, not to the leadership. We have respect for Ukraine’s settling issues in keeping with the interests of the people. We have the same policy’, said the Belarusian leader.

He added the two countries were working hard to develop further their interregional ties and had achieved much in this respect. ‘We have always been together and backed each other in hard times’, said the Belarusian President.

Viktor Yushchenko stressed Ukraine’s determination to build up brotherly relations with Belarus. He said, ‘Ukraine has always built its relations with Belarus on the principles of mutual understanding and good-neighbourliness’. He also gave a high assessment to the growth in bilateral trade.

The one-on-one talks lasted for more than three hours and a half. The sides had a substantive discussion of many bilateral issues pertaining to transit, transport, energy and those relating to cross-border interaction and the easing of border-crossing regulations and registration of citizens.
The Belarusian President said that international issues had also been discussed in the course of the talks, in particular projects of cooperation with the neighbouring states, including those involved in the Eastern Partnership initiative. According to him, both sides could propose a number of projects that would be interesting to the EU and develop common approaches with the EU.

Alexander Lukashenko thanked the Ukrainian President for the big support that Ukraine was giving to Belarus at all levels, including in the dialogue with the West. ‘Ukraine has also contributed to the improvement in Belarus’ relations with the EU and the US’, said the Belarusian leader.

In the course of the enlarged talks Alexander Lukashenko said that Belarus would resume purchasing electricity from Ukraine. Belarus has all necessary technological possibilities for it, according to him. Belarus made preparatory work in 2007, repaired and brought back to life all the electricity grids that had been built in the Soviet times.

Following the enlarged talks the presidents participated in the signing ceremony for a number of bilateral documents. Among others , signed were the memorandum of cooperation in the energy area; consular convention between the Republic of Belarus and Ukraine; the crucial memorandum between the governments and national banks of Belarus and Ukraine of development of a system of measures to intensify the bilateral trade and economic cooperation in the conditions of the world financial and economic crisis, which was signed by First Deputy Prime Minister of Belarus Vladimir Semashko and First Deputy Prime Minister of Ukraine Alexander Turchinov in the presence of the heads of state.