Ukraine considers its relationship with the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) as one of the top priorities, Ukrainian Prime Minister Mykola Azarov said Friday, as ties within the bloc became more tangible with a free trade agreement, according to Xinhua.
"I want to stress that cooperation with the CIS is one of the top priorities of Ukrainian foreign policy," Azarov said at the opening of the council of the CIS prime ministers in the southern city of Yalta.
Azarov said that the free trade agreement, which came into force last week after prolonged negotiations, will be the starting point for the formation of new trade and economic relations between the CIS members.
All CIS countries except Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan signed the free trade agreement on Oct. 18, 2011. Ukraine, Russia, Belarus, Armenia and Moldova have already ratified the deal.
The meeting of CIS prime ministers in Yalta will discuss financial issues and political cooperation within the CIS.
