Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych has abolished Ukraine's National Centre for Euro-Atlantic Integration, the presidential website said on Saturday.

He also did away with two further institutes, dealing with national and international security issues.

The move is likely to be seized on by the opposition as a sign that Yanukovych wants to move the country away from Europe and the United States and towards Russia.

The previous president, Viktor Yushchenko, pursued strongly pro-Western policies, often at the expense of ties with Moscow, and Yanukovych, whose power base is in the largely Russian-speaking east of Ukraine, has vowed to improve relations with Russia.

Yanukovych has stepped back from his predecessor's drive towards NATO and the European Union, saying that Kiev will stay out of all international defense blocs and that it is too early to speak of EU membership.

KIEV, April 3 (RIA Novosti)