Russian President Dmitry Medvedev agreed on Wednesday to meet his
new Ukrainian counterpart Viktor Yanukovych in Kiev this May to
continue work to improve ties between the two states, the Kremlin said, RIA Novosti reported.
The decision was made during a telephone conversation between Medvedev and Yanukovych.
"The heads of states have discussed the first step towards
implementing the important agreements reached during a recent
high-level Russian-Ukrainian meeting in Moscow and outlined tasks for
further work in this direction," the statement said.
During his visit to the Ukrainian capital, the Russian leader will
take part in a meeting of the Russian-Ukrainian Interstate Commission,
the statement said.
Ties between Moscow and Kiev, which deteriorated during the
pro-Western presidency of Viktor Yushchenko, have improved since
Yanukovych won the Ukrainian presidential runoff in February.
The new Ukrainian leader has pledged to hold more balanced relations
with Russia than Yushchenko, whose policies, including a bid for NATO
membership, frequently infuriated Moscow.
