RIYADH, 23 August — Ukraine President Leonid Kuchma will lead a high-level delegation to the Kingdom tentatively on January 10 next year, during which he will sign a general bilateral agreement for the promotion of trade, economic, scientific and cultural cooperation.
The visit that will also take him to other Gulf states represents Ukraine’s drive to boost its trade and economic relations with the GCC states and identify new areas of cooperation with the region.This was disclosed to newsmen in an informal talk by Ukraine’s Ambassador Leonid M.Hurianov on the occasion of his country’s National Day which falls on Aug. 24. However, the day will be celebrated on Sept. 24 in view of the summer vacation in the Kingdom.
Hurianov is the second Ukrainian ambassador to the Kingdom, which established diplomatic relations with that country in 1995. The president’s delegation will comprise senior government officials, including the director general of Ukraine’s space agency, and a multisectoral mission representing the industrial and agricultural segments.
The ambassador said the draft agreement is ready for signing by the two sides. This could pave the way for concluding other agreements, such as a protocol for investment protection and avoidance of double taxation. Even so, he pointed out, there is ongoing cooperation between the two countries in trade and commerce. He had also met with Dr. Saleh Al-Athel, president of the King Abdul Aziz City for Science and Technology (KACST), and discussed with him the scope for cooperation in space exploration and communications. Ukraine has a lot of experience and expertise in this field, which it has been sharing with Malaysia and some other countries.
Referring to bilateral trade, he said it surged dramatically from $ 36 million in 2000 to $ 128 million last year. The balance of trade stands in favor of Ukraine, whose exports to the Kingdom stood at $ 120 million, while its imports were a paltry $ 8 million consisting mostly of petrochemicals, plastics, and raw materials required for its petrochemical industry. The major export items from that country were industrial and construction equipment.
In this context, Ambassador Hurianov disclosed that his embassy is holding talks with some Saudi banks for opening their branches in the Ukrainian capital Kiev.
The potential for cooperation was enormous, as Ukraine is particularly strong in heavy industries, desalination, agricultural, construction material, aviation, space technology and air transportation. These topics, including the scope for joint ventures, came up for discussion during his talks with Abdulrahman Al-Jeraisy, president of the Riyadh Chamber of Commerce and Industry and vice president of the Council of Saudi Chambers of Commerce and Industry.
On the political side, Ukraine supports the Saudi peace initiative on the Middle East issue. It has opposed the US move to attack Iraq, as it would destabilize the country and create regional instability.
