Vladimir Putin's opening remarks: 

To begin with, I would like to thank you for the invitation. I am glad to have this opportunity today to discuss together different issues, above all, those connected with bilateral trade and economic ties. A few of our colleagues and I have quickly gone through the agenda for today, looking at all key items. The discussion took us over two hours, and I can say that we have either cleared up our positions or agreed on the key issues.

I would only like to note at the beginning that the crisis is, of course, a crisis, and it has had an impact on Ukraine, on Russia and practically all countries in the world. But our trade turnover with Ukraine has heavily slumped, and Ukraine let Belarus move up and take first place as Russia's trade and economic partner.

Our trade with Ukraine is now worth less than $15 billion, while with Belarus it is over $16 billion, although Ukraine used to be well ahead, with $25 billion or so. The drop has been substantial.

It seems to me that we have chosen a difficult but a good time to meet to see where we have missed opportunities, where prospects are good, and what we need to do not only to regain the previous level, but also to increase it. I am confident that we have the potential to do so.

We have an agenda. Perhaps we could go over it quickly, but I would not recommend focusing on each separate item, because we have done it in detail during the past two hours.

Perhaps Ms Tymoshenko could share her thoughts on the opportunities we have. Perhaps we should give the floor to our Ukrainian and Russian colleagues on issues that need a more detailed discussion, such as aviation, shipbuilding, or some other matter. It is for you to decide. Please go ahead.