Ukrainian Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovich's interview: “It is both easy and hard for us to come to an agreement with Russia”

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On August 12, during his visit to Donetsk, Ukraine’s Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovich commented to a REGNUM correspondent on the ways of settling the country’s major political and economic problems.

REGNUM: How are you going to ease tension in the Ukrainian-Russian relations?

Every time we sit to a negotiation table with the Russian side, all corners of this table look acute to us. When we leave the table, they do not seem to be acute any longer. There have always been questions between us that touch upon our national interests. It is worth mentioning here, we have never had easy relations. Sometimes talks of the Russian and Ukrainian sides resembled a bullfight. As a result, we finally used to come to understanding that the problem was to be settled.

We have always understood and understand it now that we are very much bound to each other. Our annual trade turnover worth $22 billion counts for something. Major national interests and interests of the two countries’ producers are behind it. It is both easy and hard for us to come to an agreement. Well, problems that have been occurring recently are more often far-fetched, and we will overcome them for sure.

REGNUM: How does Ukraine intend to solve the gas problems it is facing now?

They are really not small, these problems. Now the government is persistently searching for ways of providing the country with gas. By the middle of autumn we are to pump 24.5 billion cubic meters of gas into our reserves, which is 130 million cubic meters per day. To do this job, of course, we need to have talks with Gazprom; as for gas prices, we at least should fix the current price.

We have special hopes for establishing relations with Turkmenistan. We shall establish serious, mutually profitable ties with it, which are aimed at increasing gas exports from Turkmenistan by 4-5 billion cubic meters of gas by means of repairing gas pipelines in Turkmenistan’s territory. Besides, Ukraine plans to participate in exploration of gas fields in Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Russia. There is a gas field in Russia, which is very close to Ukraine; I would not mention it right now. We are optimistic that everything goes right. Besides, we intend to win a right for obtaining permission for exploiting gas fields in Persian Gulf countries.

REGNUM: Entering the WTO is one more step Ukraine should make. How is it going to protect national producers?

This year Ukraine is facing the issue of joining the WTO. It is a most difficult question for us. The talks we have had concerning the issue are difficult too. We tried to secure a deferment for us, a time reserve, to let our producers to pull themselves together, introduce new technologies, and start producing competitive goods. Otherwise, our companies will fail and people will be left jobless. The problem of entering the WTO is most sensitive from economic, political and social points of view. We shall carry out public hearings with participation of goods producers, we shall have a wide discussion: how shall we protect national producers?

REGNUM: Establishing the anti-crisis coalition became possible as a result of your political force being joined by the Socialist and Communists. In this connection, Socialist Party leader, and now Speaker of the Supreme Rada Alexander Moroz became a subject of attacks by various politicians and public figures. Do you think the attacks are justified and what is your assessment of Alexander Moroz’s activity?

Hopefully, this September the coalition will expand and we unite with Our Ukraine. Moroz is one the best speakers in Ukraine’s history. As one of the authors of the constitutional reform, which is only beginning to come into action today, he will be a very effective chairman of the Supreme Rada. We supported him right because of effectiveness of his work. Then a political decision was made, which was not very easy. He was criticized unjustly. Well, let them have it on their conscience. From a human point of view, I believe it was wrong and unfair.