Transcript of the beginning of the meeting:

Mykola Azarov: We have held a number of meetings today, the most important of which was the session of the Council of the CIS Prime Ministers. We have also signed several important agreements. Tonight, we are holding a bilateral meeting. I think that this meeting is significant for both of us because our President plans to visit Russia this year, and we must properly prepare his visit. We are also getting ready for the third Ukrainian-Russian interregional economic forum in Nizhny Novgorod under the patronage of our two presidents. We will send a representative delegation there.

We consider no less important the implementation of our presidents’ agreements to install a border demarcation mark this year. I think that this ceremony should be conducted under the patronage of our foreign ministers.  

I’d also like to suggest instructing the executive secretaries of the Economic Cooperation Committee to make a coordinated proposal on the time of holding the tenth session. During the previous meeting, we agreed to do this in November or December. At any rate, it is time for us to fix the date.

There are also other issues that I’d like to discuss in the narrow and the expanded formats. I think that we’ll let journalists leave after exchanging formal remarks and discussing these issues.

Dmitry Medvedev: I will make a few formal remarks. My main statement is not formal, but rather cordial. Thank you very much for the excellent organisation of our meeting of CIS prime ministers. You have chosen the right time and the right place. I think that our colleagues are pleased about this as well. We have reached all of the planned agreements. As for Russian-Ukrainian dialogue, it is inexhaustible in depth and in the number of resolved and outstanding issues. Let’s get down to business.

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