OREANDA-NEWS. April 12, 2011. The Prime Minister of Ukraine Mykola Azarov is convinced that negotiations with the EU on the FTA do not contradict current Ukrainian-Russian agreement. He said this during a meeting with a delegation of German journalists.

"Those negotiations on free trade that we are having with the EU (and other countries) do not conflict with other existing agreements. We will give our arguments to Russia and show that anything in our negotiations with the European Union do not contradict to existing Ukrainian-Russian agreements", - Mykola Azarov said.

He stressed that Ukraine is interested to have free trade as with a customs union in the West, which is the European Union as in the East, where a year ago was established the Customs Union of Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan.

"Somebody really wants to oppose these two processes. But anyone will not succeed. Ukraine is a transit state, in addition to its own export potential; we have our own trade and economic interests in the European Union, and are no less important trade and economic interests in countries that joined the Customs Union. We do not want to contrast these partners. We would like to find the formula that arranged us, and our partners. But in the first place we have always stood and will stand - the interests of Ukraine", - the Head of Government stressed and added that trade turnover between Ukraine and the EU and Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan roughly comparable.

Mykola Azarov noted that during the Ukrainian-Russian negotiations, Russia has never applied the methods of pressure on Ukraine to get the required result. "All our meetings and contact with the head of the Russian government Vladimir Putin suggests that Russia has never applied the methods of pressure. This is position of partners. Something in Putin's position did not suit us, something in our position did not suit them, but we in the history of our relations have never used methods of pressure "- he said.

The Prime Minister is convinced that practice of imposing a single viewpoint will be soon ceased. "I hope that soon this disease - to give advice in the form of pressure will stop", - the Head of Government concluded.