Visiting Ukrainian Foreign Minister Kostyantyn Gryshchenko spoke positively on the preparation work for the 2010 World Expo in Shanghai on July 2, and signed a preliminary memorandum of understanding (MOU) with China, pledging that Ukraine would participate in the event.

Tang Dengjie, deputy major of Shanghai, met Gryshchenko and expressed his appreciation for Ukraine's support for China hosting the 2010 World Expo, stressing that China would fulfill its promise to make good preparation work for the expo and present a successful, exciting and impressive World Expo to the world.

"I hope the Shanghai World Expo will offer a new platform for China and Ukraine to further cooperate," Tang said.

Gryshchenko said he believed that Shanghai would host a wonderful world expo, expressing the hope that the two countries could forge extensive cooperation in the fields of aircraft manufacturing, high technology and education.

China is a reliable partner of Ukraine, and Shanghai plays a vital role in Ukraine-China cooperation, Gryshchenko said, adding that Ukraine established a consulate in Shanghai at the beginning of this year, reflecting the importance that Ukraine attaches to the cooperative ties with Shanghai.

According to the preliminary MOU, the two sides both agreed that Ukraine's participation in the 2010 World Expo would push forward the bilateral friendly ties and concretize the bilateral cooperation in trade, social and cultural fields.

A 100-million-US-dollar fund would be established and the utilization and distribution of the fund would strictly comply with relevant regulations and norms of China and Bureau of International Expositions, said the MOU.

Gryshchenko's official visit to China from July 2 to 7 was at the invitation of Chinese Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing.

Source: Xinhua