Medvedev, Yanukovich to meet in Sochi.

MOSCOW, August 11 (Itar-Tass) - Russian President Dmitry Medvedev will
have a meeting with Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovich in Sochi on
Thursday, reports the presidential press service.
According to the press service, "the talks between the heads of state
will be the continuation of the active political dialogue between Russia
and Ukraine".
It is planned at the regular Russian-Ukrainian summit to discuss a
broad range of the most pressing questions of bilateral and regional
agenda. Considerable attention will be given to integration processes,
taking place over the space of the Commonwealth of Independent States with
the participation of Russia and Ukraine.
The sides suppose to touch on the topic of the Customs Union of
Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan and the United Economic Space of the three
countries.
The Russian and Ukrainian presidents are expected to examine progress
in fulfilling the present understandings on implementing major projects in
various spheres of cooperation: in energy, including the atomic one,
trade, space explorations, aviation, shipbuilding, transport, agriculture
and military-technical cooperation.
Priority attention is supposed to be given to prospects for boosting
trade and economic relations. In January-May, Russian-Ukrainian trade
totalled around 20.4 billion US dollars, jumping up by 57.4 percent.
Russian export amounted to 13 billion dollars (60.3-percent rise), import
- 7.35 billion dollars (52.3-percent rise). Thus, trade may edge up on 50
billion dollars by the year-end.
The issue of creating favourable conditions for business structures of
the two countries and solution of difficult questions of investment
cooperation may become an important item at the talks.
The presidents plan at the meeting to discuss prospects for enlarging
inter-regional and border cooperation and progress in preparing the Second
Russian-Ukrainian Inter-Regional Economic Forum, including the state of
implementing joint plans, aimed at creating more favourable conditions for
crossing the border for citizens of the two countries.
The presidents are also expected to mull over questions of
consolidation of legislation for the stay of the Russian Black Sea Fleet
in Ukraine as well as various aspects of bilateral cooperation in the
cultural and humanitarian sphere.
It is supposed that the Sochi summit will be an important stage for
preparing a regular meeting of the Russian-Ukrainian Interstate Commission.