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Belarus, Kazakhstan, Russia want Ukraine in Common Economic Space

"It would be the most powerful association that will be reckoned with in the world," Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko noted

KIEV, June 18 (Itar-Tass) - Ukraine’s membership in the Common Economic Space will help make this association among the most powerful, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said on Tuesday at a meeting with his Ukrainian counterpart Viktor Yanukovich.

“The positions of the three states - Belarus, Kazakhstan, and Russia - coincide on both the Customs Union and the Common Economic Space. We would like Ukraine not merely to cooperate with us but to be with us in the common economic space,” Lukashenko said. “It would be the most powerful association that will be reckoned with in the world.”

Viktor Yanukovich, in turn, said that Ukraine and Belarus should enliven their bilateral relations. “There is a considerable potential for their development but it is used not to the full. There still are reserves. Having such good relations, we should have prospects for settling these issues,” Yanukovich said at the Ukrainian-Belarusian talks in the extended format. According to the Ukrainian leader, both sides are set to make a more complete use of cooperation possibilities in various spheres.

The Ukrainian side, in Yanukovich’s words, pins great hopes on further cooperation between the two countries’ subcommissions in various spheres. “Thus, were are ready to work in the area of the development of transport possibilities of the two countries, oil transportation, military technical and interregional border cooperation, the agrarian sector, and agricultural machinery production,” the Ukrainian president said. Taking up the subject, Lukashenko noted that the two countries have joint ventures. “This is good, but it is not enough. We are determined to travel our way, to create more joint ventures with bigger production volumes, with serious localization in Ukraine,” he stressed.

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