President calls relations with Portugal dynamic and says about supporting concept of Unified European Energy Market by country

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President Viktor Yushchenko, who is on an official visit to Lisbon, called Ukrainian-Portuguese bilateral relations as "dynamic" ones.

At a meeting with Portugal President Anibal Cavaco Silva, held today, Viktor Yushchenko discussed trade-economic cooperation between Ukraine and Portugal, cooperation in humanitarian and social spheres, perspectives of Ukraine's European and Euro-Atlantic integration. He noted permanent support of Ukraine by the Portugal's party in those issues.

The rates of bilateral relations development are tremendous, V. Yushchenko said, having reminded that trade turnover between Ukraine and Portugal increased by 67 percent in 2007. At the same time, he proposed to expand relations at the regional level and develop contacts for national businesses. V. Yushchenko also proposed to renew work of the bilateral Intergovernmental Commission on Trade and Economic Cooperation.

Ukrainian President told a press conference on results of negotiations with the Portuguese counterpart that Ukraine positively appreciates an idea of setting up the Unified European Energy Market. In his opinion, it is possible to overcome the "energy challenges" not in the bilateral format, but by way of common unified European policy. Ukraine, according to him, will support collective measures on gas and electric energy markets.

Viktor Yushchenko reminded about an "active dialogue" held in the EU on further modernization of the Ukrainian gas transportation system, remaining to be the main thruway of gas supply to Europe, about perspectives of the Odesa-Brody Oil Pipeline for supply of Caspian oil to the EU countries, on account of which active work is carried out at the international level.

"By this we wanted to make a contribution to formation of the unified transit policy among energy resources producing countries and consuming countries. Those and other measures speak about that collective way of the problem settlement, which is the basis of the Ukrainian position in this issue", President Yushchenko said.

UKRINFORM