PUTIN, AZAROV TO DISCUSS ECONOMIC COOPERATION

ARMENPRESS
APRIL 30, 2010
SOCHI

SOCHI, APRIL 30, ARMENPRESS: Russian and Ukrainian Prime Ministers
Vladimir Putin and Nikolai Azarov, will meet on Friday for the fifth
time in the past two months to discuss bilateral economic cooperation
that is booming since President Viktor Yanukovich came to power
in Ukraine.

The Russian government press service said the meeting "will be a new
step to develop political dialogue and resolve economic issues on a
mutually advantageous basis."

Russian trade turnover with Ukraine nearly doubled in January-February
against the same period of 2009 and comprised 4 billion 394.5 million
dollars.

Russia agreed to provide a major discount on gas prices to Ukraine,
while Ukraine agreed to extend the lease of its naval base in Crimea
by the Russian Black Sea fleet for 25 years up to 2042.

The press service said the prime ministers will consider the Russian
proposal to set up a joint holding "to integrate atomic industries
and power engineering, including generation, machine building, and
nuclear fuel cycle."

The parties will also continue drafting a long-term contract on nuclear
fuel supplies to Ukrainian power plants after 2010. Russia also wants
to build two nuclear reactors at Khmelnitskaya NPP in Ukraine.

"It is planned to mount activities in the sphere of uranium production
on the Ukrainian territory," the press service said.

Aircraft construction is another cooperation guideline and the two
countries plan to jointly produce An-140, An-148, An-70 and Tu-334
planes and resume serial production of An-124 Ruslan heavy-duty
transport aircraft.