Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has signed a decree "On the decision of the National Security and Defense Council (NSDC) of Ukraine of September 6, 2018 "On the Treaty on Friendship, Cooperation and Partnership between Ukraine and the Russian Federation.'"
According to the decision, the NSDC supported the proposals of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine regarding the termination of the Treaty on Friendship, Cooperation and Partnership between Ukraine and the Russian Federation signed on May 31, 1997, the president's press service said.
Read alsoPoroshenko to notify Russia of termination of friendship agreement by Sept 30
It is noted the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry should inform Russia about Ukraine's desire to terminate the Treaty on Friendship in accordance with Article 40 of this document and submit a draft law on the termination of the Treaty to the president of Ukraine.
Moreover, according to the NSDC's decision, the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry should inform the United Nations, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, other international organizations about Ukraine's desire to terminate the Treaty and the grounds for its termination.
At the same time, Ukrainian presidential representative in parliament Iryna Lutsenko said Russia would be informed by the note of the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry until September 30 about Ukraine's desire to terminate the treaty, and the head of state would submit the relevant bill to the parliament in accordance with Article 24 of the Law "On International Treaties of Ukraine."
As UNIAN reported, Poroshenko said on August 28 he was waiting a package of documents from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for the start of the process of terminating the Treaty of Friendship, Cooperation and Partnership between Ukraine and Russia.
UNIAN memo. The Treaty on Friendship, Cooperation, and Partnership between Ukraine and the Russian Federation was signed by the then Ukrainian President Leonid Kuchma and his Russian counterpart Boris Yeltsin on May 31, 1997. The document fixed the principle of strategic partnership, the recognition of the inviolability of existing borders, respect for territorial integrity and mutual commitment not to use its territory to harm the security of each other. It automatically renews on each 10th anniversary of its signing, unless one party advises the other of its intention to end the treaty. After Russia annexed Crimea and unleashed war in Donbas in 2014, there have been repeat appeals in Ukraine to sever the treaty.
