KIEV, October 13 (RIA Novosti) - Ukraine's newly appointed foreign minister would like to see his country enjoy better relations with Russia, the UNIAN news agency said on Tuesday.

Ukraine's parliament approved Petro Poroshenko as foreign minister last Friday. Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko introduced the new foreign minister to the country's diplomatic corps earlier on Tuesday.

"Our relations should be less emotional, more pragmatic and equal," Poroshenko said at the ceremony.

Poroshenko also urged efforts to enhance "the depth and dynamics" of bilateral relations with Ukraine's strategic partners in the West, in particular the United States.

He also reiterated that membership of the European Union remained an important goal for the former Soviet republic.

Ukraine had been without a top diplomat since former foreign minister Volodymyr Ohryzko was dismissed on March 3.