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Russian president arrives in Ukraine for official visit

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Russian president arrives in Ukraine for official visit - Sputnik International
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Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has arrived in the Ukrainian capital of Kiev on a two-day visit where he is due to meet with his Ukrainian counterpart Viktor Yanukovych and sign a number of bilateral agreements

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has arrived in the Ukrainian capital of Kiev on a two-day visit where he is due to meet with his Ukrainian counterpart Viktor Yanukovych and sign a number of bilateral agreements.

A group of Ukrainian officials headed by Foreign Minister Kostyantyn Hryshchenko met Medvedev at Barispol International Airport on Monday.

This is Medvedev's second visit to Ukraine since Yanukovych was elected Ukrainian president in February. Yanukovych has twice visited Russia as the two former Soviet neighbors have rekindled their relations over the past three months.

The Russian president said on Sunday he hoped to sign a number of bilateral agreements concerning "energy cooperation, as well as cooperation in humanitarian exchanges, in interregional and international problems."

Medvedev also said Moscow and Kiev have recently made important steps to restore "full-fledged, kindhearted, sincere and friendly relations traditional for our countries."

The Russian leader said agreements on Black Sea security, settlement in Moldova's breakaway region of Transdnestr and European security issues could also be signed.

Transdnestr has been considered a "frozen conflict" zone since a brief war in 1992, which was the culmination of tensions between Chisinau and Tiraspol following the breakup of the Soviet Union. Russia, Ukraine and the OSCE are mediators in the conflict; the EU and the United States are observers.

Yanukovych, who replaced Viktor Yushchenko in the presidential office, has made good on his campaign pledge to improve relations with Russia, which were soured by Yushchenko's anti-Russian policies.

In particular, Russia and Ukraine recently signed an agreement extending the lease on the Russian Black Sea Fleet base in the Ukrainian port of Sevastopol for 25 years after the current lease expires in 2017. The deal, which gave Ukraine a 30% discount for Russian gas supplies, has infuriated the Ukrainian opposition, which has described it as posing a threat to Ukraine's sovereignty.

Ahead of the Russian president's visit to Kiev, Ukrainian law enforcement agencies strengthened security near the country's presidential administration office to prevent potential violence instigated by the country's opposition and assure safety of the Russian and Ukrainian presidents and officials.

KIEV, May 17 (RIA Novosti)

 

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