Russian, Ukrainian defense ministers to meet in Moscow

Russian Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov and his Ukrainian counterpart Mykhaylo Yezhel will meet in Moscow on Friday to discuss bilateral military cooperation.

A Ukrainian military delegation, led by Yezhel, arrives in Moscow to participate in a meeting of a subcommittee on security under the Russian-Ukrainian Interstate Commission.

“Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov and his Ukrainian colleague will discuss a wide range of issues in the area of bilateral military and military-technical cooperation,” the Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement.

Relations between Russia and Ukraine have improved significantly since Viktor Yanukovych was elected Ukraine’s president last year. On April 21, 2010, Moscow and Kiev signed a deal extending the lease on the Russian Black Sea Fleet‘s base in Sevastopol in Ukraine’s Crimea for 25 years after the current lease expires in 2017.

Russia and Ukraine are planning to hold over 80 joint command-staff exercises and tactical drills in 2011.

MOSCOW, March 25 (RIA Novosti)

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