Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin will visit Ukraine for talks with President Viktor Yanukovych on July 24, the Russian government's press service said on Thursday.
Putin and Yanukovych, who last met in Istanbul at the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA) summit in early June, are expected to discuss "current issues of Russian-Ukrainian cooperation and other questions of bilateral interest," the statement said.
In a 60th birthday telegram to Yanukovych on July 9, Putin praised Ukraine's efforts towards "strengthening friendly relations and mutually beneficial cooperation between Ukraine and Russia."
According to Yanukovych's press service, the president will meet on July 23 with Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia, who is on an eight-day visit to Ukraine.
Russia-Ukraine ties have strengthened significantly since Viktor Yanukovych replaced pro-Western Viktor Yushchenko as president in late February.
MOSCOW/KIEV, July 22 (RIA Novosti)
