Thaw in Russia-Ukraine relations
BBC
Sunday, 8 May, 2005,
The presidents of Russia and Ukraine have agreed in Moscow to set
up a joint commission to examine sensitive issues between their
countries. Russian-Ukrainian ties were strained during Ukraine’s
December “orange revolution,” which saw pro-western liberal Viktor
Yushchenko triumph.
Mr Yushchenko’s presidential rival Viktor Yanukovych was supported
by Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Leaders of ex-Soviet republics were hosted by Mr Putin in Moscow
on Sunday.
The new Russia-Ukraine commission will look at security, economic
co-operation, international relations and humanitarian issues, the
Interfax news agency reported.
The two neighbours remain divided over boundaries and the Soviet-era
Black Sea Fleet, based in Crimea.
CIS tensions
The BBC’s Sarah Rainsford in Moscow says rifts were all too apparent
at the summit of the 12-nation Commonwealth of Independent States
(CIS) – the association of ex-Soviet republics.
Mr Putin recalled the countries’ huge contribution to the defeat of
Nazism – and called on their presidents to continue to unite against
terrorism.
But two countries were not even represented.
Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili is boycotting the World War
II victory events in Moscow, angry that Russia is delaying closing
its Soviet-era military bases in Georgia.
And Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev also stayed away, saying
he could not sit at the same table with Armenia’s leader on 8 May –
the date of a key battle in the 1988-1994 war over the still disputed
territory of Nagorno-Karakbakh.