President of Ukraine Victor Yushchenko pledges to do his best to keep good neighbor relations between Ukraine and Russia.
He said this in an interview with CNN.
“Russia was, is, and will be our strategic partner”, the Ukrainian President emphasized.
He expressed a hope that all unsettled issues, including the fact that Russia is opposed to Ukraine’s integration with Euro-Atlantic structures, may be agreed between the two states. “I’m sure we will find wisdom to discuss everything with Russia at a roundtable”, Victor Yushchenko said.
Asked whether the Caucasian conflict may negatively influence relations between Ukraine and Russia and whether it may hamper Ukraine’s integration with EU and NATO, Victor Yushchenko stressed once again that Ukraine’s Euro-Atlantic policy is not aimed against Russia. “We do not see any threat to Ukrainian-Russian relations in this context”, the President said, adding that every independent country has a right to choose its system of security.
Victor Yushchenko expressed a hope that Europe is also interested in the Ukraine’s integration.
