Question: Will Russian-Ukrainian consultations on the withdrawal of the Russian Federation's Black Sea Fleet from Ukrainian territory begin in June, as the Ukrainian MFA has said?

Commentary: Indeed, as the Russian and Ukrainian foreign ministers met on April 15 the Ukrainian side handed us a draft memorandum outlining the stages and the way in which to withdraw the military units of Russia's Black Sea Fleet from Ukraine's territory.

The Ukrainian side was told that Moscow would study the document, but discussion of the issue was not urgent for us. Simultaneously the importance was noted of solving practical matters related to providing the conditions necessary for full-fledged functioning of the Russian Black Sea Fleet and its stationing on Ukrainian territory. Work in this sector is being conducted within the framework of the appropriate Sub-Commission of the Russian-Ukrainian Interstate Commission and of its working groups: on military-political issues; on inventorying Ukraine's land plots and state property units handed over to the Fleet for use; on navigational/hydrographic support of the safety of navigation in the Black and Azov Seas; on ecological safety, environmental protection and also on the jurisdiction and legal aspects of the functioning of the Fleet's military units and law enforcement bodies on Ukrainian soil. The next session of the Sub-Commission is due to be held in June 2008.

Thus, the assertions about the start of consultations on the Fleet's withdrawal from Ukraine's territory do not correspond to reality.

We have taken note of the Ukrainian side's position on the timeframe for the stationing of the Russian Federation's Black Sea Fleet on Ukraine's territory, and it will be considered in building the whole range of relations between the two states.

April 16, 2008