ODESA, MAY 7th, 2011, CONTEXT-PRICHERNOMORIE — Odesa Regional Council Chairperson Nikolay Pundik says Ukraine and Russia should develop cooperation in energetic, chemical, space and security sectors, Context-Prichernomorie correspondent reports.

As noted today, May 7, by the press service of the Odesa Regional Council, N. Pundik said this during an interview with international news magazine “Europe Centre”, answering the question, what specific areas of Ukrainian-Russian cooperation, he considers the most promising.

“During the seventy-three years, Ukraine and Russia were part of a single economic space. That is why today, after twenty years after the collapse of the Soviet Union, production and transportation capacity of our countries remain largely focused on each other. No need to look far for an example: Today in the Odesa region there are large budget forming the company — the Odesa oil refining factory «Lukoil» and the Odesa Portside Plant, whose work depends on the reliability of oil and gas supplies from Russia.

Therefore, speaking of the spheres of bilateral cooperation, I think that our countries need to forge cooperative ties in energy, chemical, aerospace industry, defense industry, mechanical engineering, reverse workflows for the production of sophisticated products. In this sense, cooperation with Russia open for Ukraine, not only Russia but the Western markets.

Another important area I think could become a common policy and coordination of actions on the world grain market, which will give us the opportunity to enter the markets of North Africa and the Middle East, that were previously closed to us. This will enable to get transshipment facilities in Ukrainian ports, most of which are located in the Odesa region, and earn as a transshipment and Russian grain.

It should be noted that today Russia remains Ukraine’s main trading partner. In 2010 foreign trade turnover of the Odesa region of the Russian Federation amounted to about 1,2 billion U.S. dollars. However, this is not enough digits. I am confident that our countries have a much greater potential for economic relations, which have not yet fully exploited”, said N. Pundik.