Chernomyrdin Intends To Bring Ukrainian Capital to Russia

Russian Ambassador to Ukraine and Special Representative of the President of the Russian Federation on Developing Trade and Economic Relations with Ukraine Viktor Chernomyrdin believes that one of his major missions is to assist the flow of Ukrainian capital to Russia. He stated this in his interview to the journalists, answering Interfax Ukraine’s question, “I am an ardent supporter of Ukrainian capital actually flowing to Russia.” In general, Mr. Chernomyrdin has the goal of making bilateral relations “more dynamic and concrete in every direction.” He added that “today we suffer not because we don’t understand each other... Presidents make agreements, give directives to their governments, and that’s it. Why does everything come to a standstill at lower levels? If we have decided to act, we must act.” Mr. Chernomyrdin also marked that Ukraine and Russia are connected in terms of technology. “I can’t even imagine how we (in Russia — Ed.) can make any spurts in the economy without our ties with Ukraine,” he stressed. “Just look, in the former Soviet Union, Ukraine was in first place in mineral fertilizers production. Why can’t Ukrainian plants work at full capacity? Are we supposed to build new plants?” Mr. Chernomyrdin noted that during his meeting with Ukrainian Prime Minister Anatoly Kinakh “there was a very serious, detailed talk... I believe the new premier is doing absolutely the right things.” Viktor Chernomyrdin expressed his wish that the Ukrainian government was “pro-Ukrainian, and the Russian one — pro-Russian, and that each of us cared about what is happening in our country without looking West or East, because the only people you have to serve is your own.”