Ukraine's outgoing President Viktor Yushchenko congratulated on Saturday his successor Viktor Yanukovych on his legitimate election as president.

Earlier on Saturday, Ukraine's Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko withdrew her appeal contesting Yanukovych's victory in the recent presidential election runoff from the country's top court. She said the court had refused to consider the evidence her team had collected.

"Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko has had a telephone conversation with Viktor Yanukovych. During the talk, Yushchenko congratulated Yanukovych on his legitimate election as president of Ukraine," the presidential press service said.

The outgoing leader ordered arrangements for Yanukovych's inauguration. He also expressed hope that the new president would do his utmost to protect Ukraine's interests and democracy.

Yanukovych is due to be sworn in as president at a special parliamentary session on Thursday.

Tymoshenko's bloc meanwhile signaled it would not attend the ceremony, bloc member Serhiy Mishchenko said.

"We will not attend the inauguration. This is not our feast, and we have not been invited to the feast," the parliamentarian was quoted as saying on the Tymoshenko bloc's website.

Tymoshenko, who lost the runoff vote by 3.48%, appealed the election results in Ukraine's Supreme Administrative Court on Tuesday. The court then suspended the Central Election Commission's official announcement of Yanukovych's victory in the runoff.

KIEV, February 20 (RIA Novosti)