RUSSIA-DEFENSE-UKRAINE-COMMISSION

Moscow, July 13 (Interfax-Ukraine) – Russian Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov was present at a session of the Russian-Ukrainian Interstate Commission in Yalta on Thursday.

Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Ukrainian counterpart Viktor Yanukovych presided over the event, at which Serdyukov announced plans to sign a Moscow-Kyiv agreement on cooperation in combating piracy in the near future, a Defense Ministry spokesman said.

The minister also informed the presidents of the progress made in drafting an agreement to change the procedure for using the runways of Ukraine’s NITKA training range, as well as a program for military-technological cooperation between the two countries for 2012-2017.

Serdyukov assessed the state and prospects of Russian-Ukrainian military cooperation and analyzed the functioning of the security sub-committee, which he co-chairs.

He also addressed the development of cooperation between Ukrainian defense industry enterprises and Russia’s Oboronservice.

A contract was signed to dispose of the Russian Black Sea Fleet’s ammunition at Ukrainian plants, the minister said. The sides are also considering the possibility of repairing Russian armored military hardware and Black Sea Fleet ships at these enterprises.

Serdyukov spoke positively about cooperation between the Armed Forces of Russia and Ukraine, including joint operational and combat training and delegations’ visits.

Ukrainian servicemen were enrolled in Russian military schools for the first time this year, the Defense Ministry said.

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09:58:39 EET-2