YALTA, November 20 (RIA Novosti) - Ukraine and Russia have prepared a strategic cooperation contract in the nuclear energy sphere until 2020, Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko said.

"Our respective ministries have prepared a strategic contract until 2020, which is ready to be signed," Tymoshenko said after a meeting with Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin on Thursday.

"I think that we will soon finalize another important document, which will ensure stability in our cooperation [in the nuclear sphere] for years to come," she added.

Ukraine produces uranium, but has no capacity to enrich it. All nuclear fuel for Ukraine's five nuclear power plants (NPP) and two research reactors is supplied by Russia's TVEL corporation.

The existing contract on nuclear fuel deliveries expires in 2010. A new agreement has not been signed yet, although it was expected to be concluded by July 15.