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President of Russia Vladimir Putin: Mr President,

It is a great pleasure to see you. Thank you for accepting the invitation and coming for this visit. There is no need to repeat what we all know about the immense scale of our cooperation, which is developing well in our political ties, in international affairs, and in the economy too. Our bilateral trade is growing and our ties continue to become more diversified. The deep level of cooperation between our companies is well known and I have already spoken about it. There are some companies in both countries that simply would not be able to work effectively without each other.

I think your visit is timely. I am very pleased that we have these regular contacts, not just at the presidential level, but at the government and ministerial level too, and between our companies that work together.

I am very happy to see you and wish you welcome.

President of Ukraine Viktor Yanukovych: Thank you, Mr President.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov visited Ukraine last week on your instruction. Our ministers went over most of the issues that we will discuss today, and I imagine you have already been briefed.

I have come of course in order to keep the gap between our contacts short, as longer gaps never bring any benefit, and to discuss and settle some of the current issues before us, many of which you just mentioned. 

First, I want to say that our agencies have finally reached an agreement on cooperation in the space sector, on research and joint work, as we discussed, between Kazakhstan, Ukraine, and Russia in this sector. Three launches are now being planned.

I think this is an important and topical sector in terms of helping to spread use of modern technology that is a driving force of economic growth today. We should probably settle the situation in the aircraft manufacturing sector too, today, seeing as our manufacturers are waiting for our decisions in this area. In the nuclear energy sector the relevant companies are ready to begin their work, and after we make our joint decision we will be able to launch the new cooperation programmes between our countries in this sector.

”Ukrainian goods play an undisputed priority role in a number of sectors on the Russian market. This is so important for future development of both economies that it is only natural to put in place special conditions for developing these cooperation ties. ‘

I also want to discuss current matters, our relations with the Customs Union, for example, because we still hold to our previous view and consider that deepening our cooperation with the Customs Union will benefit our goods producers. We should keep on steadily deepening these relations as this will only benefit the economy.

Of course, I also want to congratulate you on your birthday.

Vladimir Putin: Thank you.

Viktor Yanukovych: Let me tell you that nothing changes after 60. Everything continues and life looks even more beautiful. 

Vladimir Putin: Thank you very much for your congratulations and for the deep analysis of our relations.

On the Customs Union, as we have discussed before, it is always up to each country to decide for itself whether to join this or that organisation. But given the depth of our cooperation, including in the key sectors you listed just now such as nuclear energy, the energy sector in general, aircraft manufacturing, space sector, shipbuilding, and other important sectors that characterise an economy’s level of technological development in general, not to mention joint scientific research and so on, we should analyse things in terms of a single comprehensive whole.

You have to look too at the markets our countries work on. Ukrainian goods play an undisputed priority role in a number of sectors on the Russian market. You export a large share of your produce and a lot of aviation equipment to Russia. Almost all Russian helicopters are fitted with Ukrainian-made engines, for example.

Viktor Yanukovych: Yes of course, from Motor Sich.

Vladimir Putin: And there are other areas of cooperation in the aircraft-manufacturing sector too.

This is all so important for future development of both economies that it is only natural to put in place special conditions for developing these cooperation ties. But this is a process of negotiations of course. I have been discussing it with my colleagues too, as you know, — with the President of Kazakhstan and with the President of Belarus. This is a reciprocal process and must go hand-in-hand with a deep analysis of our mutual interests, and take these interests into account.

We will discuss this today too.

Viktor Yanukovych: And we will discuss the gas sector.

Vladimir Putin: Yes, and the gas sector too.

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