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Russia does not want to withdraw its fleet from Ukraine

22 October 2008 14:22 (UTC +04:00)

Moscow â€“ APA. In 2017, the Russian Federation will be ready to make a proposal to Ukraine that would let the Russian Black Sea Fleet stay in the territory of the country, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said at the news-conference in Moscow, APA reports quoting UNIAN. He said they respected Ukraineâ€™s sovereignty and territorial integrity, fulfilled all the bilateral agreements and were committed to all the principles and cooperation directions reflected in the agreements.
â€œIt also concerns the agreement on the Black Sea Fleetâ€™s staying in the territory of Ukraine. We will offer Ukraine to discuss the issue on the fleetâ€™s staying in its territory after 2017. It is obvious that these issues will be discussed later, near 2017 with the government,â€ he said.
Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko and the countryâ€™s national-oriented political forces insist on withdrawal of the Russian fleet on the set date.