Ukrainian President’s Aide Says Energy Memorandum With Belarus Ready for Signing

Text of report by Interfax-Ukraine news agency

Kiev, 21 February: Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko is planning to sign an energy memorandum with his Belarusian counterpart, Alyaksandr Lukashenka, at their upcoming meeting.

“The memorandum on energy cooperation between Ukraine and Belarus has been prepared for signing,” the deputy head of the Ukrainian presidential secretariat, Oleksandr Chalyy, said at a briefing in Kiev today.

He said five agreements are planned to be signed during this visit. They concern energy cooperation, the transfer of convicts, the border checkpoint near the Chernobyl nuclear power plant, agriculture, and a consular convention.

Chalyy said the energy memorandum can be characterized as declarative and its signing will give rise to negotiations on specific issues such as energy and oil supplies, and gas cooperation.

He denied any link between Ukraine’s paying more attention to Belarus and the recent cooling of relations between Belarus and Russia.

“Ukrainian-Belarusian relations are natural and in no way directed against other countries,” he said.

He said the policy of isolation from Belarus is not fruitful.

The diplomatic services of two countries are now scheduling a meeting of the Belarusian and Ukrainian presidents, he said.

[Chalyy also said that the upcoming visit of Ukrainian Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych to Germany should be viewed as an element in an intensified economic dialogue, while cooperation with Germany is becoming a priority direction for Ukrainian foreign policy, Interfax-Ukraine news agency reported at 1501 gmt on 21 February.]

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