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Russia, Ukraine FMs to focus on gas talks in Moscow

Viktor Yanukovich assumes that Ukraine can address in international legal instances as an extraordinary measure, if the negotiations to revise the gas contracts are futile

MOSCOW, September 5 (Itar-Tass) —— The gas issue is expected to be high on the agenda of the negotiations between Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and visiting Ukrainian counterpart Konstantin Grishchenko on Monday. Grishchenko arrived in Moscow to participate in a meeting of the subcommittee for international cooperation.

The consultations between the foreign ministers are preceded by a meeting between Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and his Ukrainian counterpart Viktor Yanukovich on the sidelines of a CIS summit in Dushanbe on Saturday.

Though the gas issue is traditional in the negotiations between Russia and Ukraine, the reports about a probable Naftogaz Ukrainy reorganization point to some cooling in bilateral relations, the experts noted.

“Moscow believes that the current gas agreement between the countries outlines completely major conditions of gas cooperation,” Russian presidential spokesperson Natalia Timakova said earlier. “The agreement should be definitely fulfilled and cannot be revised in the unilateral way. Russia is ready to protect its position on the agreement in any legal instance and will act strictly under this document,” the spokesperson said.

For his part, Viktor Yanukovich assumes that Ukraine can address in international legal instances as an extraordinary measure, if the negotiations to revise the gas contracts are futile.

The foreign ministers will also discuss the demarcation of the border between the countries, the border delimitation on the Kerch Strait, and cooperation between the foreign ministries. The ministers will also discuss the terms of the Black Sea Fleet deployment in the Crimea.