The issue of the Black Sea Fleet, specifically the intergovernmental agreement on deployment and withdrawal is to be discussed at the meeting of the special commission of the Presidents of Russia and Ukraine in June 2008, said RBC-Ukraine citing Ukraine`s Foreign Minister Vladimir Ogryzko, according to RBC. Ogryzko added that Russia was to phase out its deployment of the Black Sea Fleet from Ukraine`s territory by 2017, and a draft memorandum to this effect has already been submitted to the Russian side.
According to RBC-Ukraine, Kyiv has been receiving informal offers of higher rental charges in exchange for a prolongation of the deployment period. Today, the State Duma made a recommendation to both to the President and the cabinet to pull out of the Friendship Cooperation and Partnership Treaty with Ukraine should Ukraine succeed in joining NATO.
