KIEV, August 5 (RIA Novosti) - Ukraine's newly-appointed Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych and his predecessor Yuriy Yekhanurov discussed Saturday the main problems facing the country, the governmental press service said Saturday.
Yanukovych and Yekhanurov focused on the need of structural changes in the government and regional issues, including the situation in the Crimea and Odessa Region, the press service said.
"Ukraine is seeing a civilized transfer of power that guarantees succession of foreign and domestic policy in the state and meets the existing world practice," Yanukovych said.
He said his government would use the positive experience of Yekhanurov's Cabinet and will try to avoid its mistakes.
Yanukovych, who received Yushchenko's backing for the premiership after months of political wrangling, has strong support from the Russian-speaking eastern part of Ukraine, and is widely expected to seek closer economic ties with Russia.
