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After a brief conversation at the Ukrainian President’s out-of-town residence, President Vladimir Putin and President Leonid Kuchma arrived at Yuzhny Mashinostroitelny Zavod (Southern Machine-Building Plant), where Russian-Ukrainian negotiations were held, first in a restricted and then in an expanded format.

The negotiations lasted about two hours. Subjects discussed included military-technical cooperation and coordination of efforts in the space and rocket industry and aircraft building. The Presidents adopted a joint statement on further cooperation in rocket, space, and aviation technology.

At the end of the negotiations, Mr Putin and Mr Kuchma met with workers at the plant, and made a tour of the workshops assembling spacecraft and launch vehicles. The plant’s products are traditionally considered staples of Russian-Ukrainian space cooperation.

During their visit to the plant, the Presidents gave a joint news conference.

Before flying to Moscow, Mr Putin, together with Mr Kuchma, laid flowers at the monument to Pushkin in Dnepropetrovsk.