Yanukovych vows better Ukraine-China cooperation
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Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych said great cooperation potential should serve as the cornerstone of the Ukraine-China strategic partnership.
The most promising areas for bilateral cooperation include infrastructure, trade and investment, aviation, railway transportation, energy, tourism, cultural exchange and education, Yanukovych said in a recent interview with Chinese mainstream media.
Yanukovych, who will pay a state visit to China from Sept. 2 to 5, said he expects the visit to set a milestone for the Ukraine-China strategic partnership and would explore more prospects for bilateral cooperation.
It is in Ukraine's national interest to enhance its relations with China and make them a priority because China is adept at applying domestic and foreign policies and is now one of the engines that drive the world economy, Yanukovych said.
The president stressed Ukraine has been adhering to the one-China policy and supports China in upholding its sovereignty and territorial integrity.
On the global stage, Ukraine is willing to enhance its coordination with China to overcome the consequences of the financial crisis, promote the recovery of the world economy and counter the challenges brought by climate change.
The president said more than 60 percent of Ukraine's products are for export but have little added value. China, which has used a lot of advanced technologies in developing its economy, can help Ukraine process raw materials through these technologies to increase the added value of the products.
"Ukraine can help promote China's interests by serving as its partner when it conducts projects in a third country. At the same time, we hope China can become a good partner to help safeguard our interests in the global market," Yanukovych said.
Talking about how to protect the interests of foreign investors, Yanukovych said since he took office in February the government has annuled more than 50 percent of administrative licenses that impeded the development of small- and medium-sized enterprises and foreign investment.
Besides, Ukraine is adopting a series of measures to improve the environment for investment, such as conducting a judicial reform to ensure fair and efficient judgment, providing preferential terms to those investing in prioritized projects and offering credit and government guarantees for some projects, Yanukovych added.
On its relations with the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), Yanukovych said Ukraine recently approved the law on principles of domestic and foreign policy, which stipulates the country's non-participation in any military alliance.
This accords with the aspirations of the Ukrainian people, Yanukovych said.
Polls in recent years showed that Ukrainians did not want their country to join any military alliance and hoped the countries that have made security promises to the Ukraine could assume their responsibilities, he added.
"The NATO and the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) are Ukraine's neighbors, and Ukraine wants to be their partners," Yanukovych said.
"But Ukraine does not want to see the NATO border is approaching Russia. It's very dangerous, because altering the European balance of power could exert unexpected negative influence on global peace and stability," he warned.
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