Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko urged Russia on Thursday to begin talks immediately on the pullout of the Black Sea fleet from Ukraine.
"In my opinion, the future pullout of the Russian Black Sea Fleet from Ukraine should become an item of the current agenda. We should start the discussion if we want to have a correct and sincere relationship," Yuschenko told a press conference, stressing that both countries must do everything possible beforehand and beforehand is not to say prematurely.
The Ukrainian constitution prohibited the deployment of foreign military bases on the national territory, Yushchenko said, adding that the withdrawal of the Black Sea Fleet will be a lengthy process.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Volodymyr Ohryzko said on Tuesday a bill on the departure of the Black Sea fleet would soon be submitted to Ukraine's parliament. Russia's foreign ministry retorted that the bill was "premature."
Ukrainian officials have repeatedly called on the fleet to leave Sevastopol when the lease expires in 2017.
The fleet is a contentious issue between Kiev and Moscow, which have also clashed over Ukraine's aspiration to join the North Atlantic Treaty organization (NATO), a bid that Russia strongly opposes.
Source:Xinhua
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