Ukraine wants to form a new model of relations with the Customs Union of Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan, which will foresee special relations in areas of mutual interest.

This is stated in an annual address of Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych to the Verkhovna Rada, which was published on the official website of the head of state on Thursday.

"Ukraine wants to form a new model of relations with the Customs Union, which will envisage 'special relations' in areas of mutual interest. Ukraine's national interests lie in maintaining strategic relations with partners and ensuring diversified and multifaceted foreign economic cooperation," Yanukovych said.

He said that it is important for Ukraine to offer its own vision of relations with the Customs Union, which would not contradict the European integration of the state.

"Integration processes in the post-Soviet space are a sign of global trends towards growth in the number of regional integration associations and trade unions. It is important for Ukraine to fully join these processes by offering its own vision of the development of its relations with the Customs Union countries in terms of creating a common economic space and forming the Eurasian Union, on the one hand, and not changing its own course for integration into the European Union, on the other hand," reads the address.

Yanukovych said that a constructive search for a mutually acceptable regime of trade and economic ties between Ukraine and the Customs Union countries, especially Russia, which would help preserve the volume of trade and implement joint production projects, is an urgent and important task for the Ukrainian authorities.

Ukrinform