Russian MP: Russian parliament can urge government to change format of relations with Ukraine

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The Russian State Duma can urge the government to change the format of the relations with Ukraine, if the latter is granted a NATO Membership Action Plan (MAP) at the summit in Bucharest, the chair of the Russian parliamentary Committee for CIS Affairs and Ties with Compatriots Alexei Ostrovsky told reporters in Moscow today, a REGNUM correspondent informs.

“We need to wait for resolutions of the Bucharest summit. It is known that some European countries, members of NATO, including Germany, France and others, oppose fiercely granting a MAP to Ukraine,” Ostrovsky said. “In case, Ukraine is given the MAP, the Russian State Duma can issue a resolution and urge the executive branch to change the format of the relations with Ukraine,” the MP said.

Ostrovsky noted that at a parliamentary hearing today no recommendations would be taken. As he said, probably, next week, the committee would discuss recommendations of the parliamentary hearing. He noted that the recommendations would be drafted by the Committee for CIS Affairs and Ties with Compatriots.

Earlier, Ostriovsky announced that the hearing was aimed at examining how the Treaty on Friendship, Cooperation and Partnership between Russia and Ukraine was being implemented. “After the hearing, we will recommend that the government either amend the treaty or, in case Ukraine joins NATO, withdraw from the agreement,” the chair of the committee said.

The parliamentary hearing about the Russian-Ukrainian relations and the treaty were held today at the Russian State Duma. The treaty expires on April 9, 2009. It can be automatically prolonged by ten more years, if by October 1 neither party announces it withdraws from it.