Ukrainian Prime Minister Mykola Azarov has called for the steady development of trade and economic relations between Ukraine and Russia, without any barriers to trade.

"We would like our relations to develop increasingly without any barriers. This is our principled position," he said at a meeting with President of Tatarstan Rustam Minnikhanov in Kyiv on Monday.

Azarov said that in 2011 trade between Ukraine and Russia reached a record high of $62 billion and expressed the hope that the economic and trade relations would retain this high level in future.

During the meeting, the Ukrainian prime minister also touched on the issue of introduction of a car recycling tax by Russia, which affected Ukrainian products.

"With regard to the vehicle recycling tax, we offered to sign an agreement on the abolition and mutual non-use of this fee so that we wouldn't have to introduce similar measures in response," Azarov said.

KyivPost