KIEV, March 29 (RIA Novosti) -- The Ukrainian government will strive to deepen economic cooperation with Russia, Ukraine's economics minister said Thursday.
"The government will do all it can to expand our cooperation, which is acquiring a new quality," Anatoliy Kinakh said, adding that Ukrainian-Russian cooperation is already highly dynamic, with Russia accounting for 28% of Ukraine's foreign trade.
"In 2006, our foreign trade turnover grew 12% and the positive trend will continue in 2007," he said.
He also said he is convinced both Ukraine and Russia will soon join the WTO.
Kinakh, who is the leader of the Party of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs of Ukraine, was nominated by Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych and approved by Ukraine's parliament last Wednesday.
The parliament earlier dismissed Volodymyr Makukha as economics minister.
