28 October 2010, 13:40
In the framework of the official visit to Saint Petersburg, Volodymyr Lytvyn, Chairman of The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, met Sergey Antufiev, Governor of the Smolensk Region of the Russian Federation.
V. Lytvyn and S. Antufiev discussed inter-regional cooperation, which is believed to be a crucial component of the bilateral relations. V.Lytvyn proved this statement by the fact that 20% of the total turnover between the states referred to the trans-border trade between the Ukrainian and Russian regions.
S. Antufiev reported on the drafting of a cooperation agreement between Smolensk region of Russia and Zhytomyr region of Ukraine, the first Ukrainian region to cooperate with Smolensk region under this normative act. He informed about the ongoing drafting of similar agreements with Kherson and Chernihiv regions of Ukraine.
S. Antufiev also dwelled upon the recent constituent forum of the Chambers of Commerce and Industry of the Regions of Ukraine, Russia and Belarus located in the Dnieper basin. The Association of the Chambers of Commerce and Industry of these regions was then founded. Delegation of the Chambers of Commerce and Industry of Smolensk region have already visited Donetsk and Kyiv, while the delegation of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Chernihiv region has visited Smolensk. "This work turns into real cooperation," he stated. Seven Ukrainian-Russian enterprises are currently operating in Smolensk region. "Our economic liaison is developing," the Governor admitted. "Last year, the rate of goods turnover between Smolensk region and Ukraine totaled USD 85 million, whereas it reached USD 45 million only for the first half-year of 2010."
V.Lytvyn believes that development of inter-regional cooperation is one of the most effective tools to enhance inter-state relations. It should be supported by the Program of Inter-Regional and Trans-Frontier Cooperation between Ukraine and Russia for 2011-2016, signed at the first Ukrainian-Russian inter-regional economic forum held under the patronage of the Presidents of Ukraine and the Russian Federation on October 4, 2010.
The Head of the Parliament informed about the action plan on the implementation of this program to be signed presently. The action plan will present specific steps towards the development of inter-regional cooperation on the basis of the proposals of Ukrainian and Russian regions.
V.Lytvyn concluded, "Inter-regional cooperation and contacts fill our relations with pragmatic content."
On 27-28 October, Volodymyr Lytvyn, Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, stays with a working visit in Saint Petersburg (Russian Federation) to participate in the Interparliamentary Assembly of the CIS Member Nations.