Russia and Ukraine should consider each other's interests concerning issues regarding the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and other international bodies when they develop their strategic cooperative relations, visiting Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Fradkov said on Tuesday.

Fradkov told a press conference that the two countries must establish sound relations to ensure the successful implementation of large-scale cooperative projects.

A partnership assumed not only "the ability to look into the future but also special relations of trust," the prime minister said after attending a meeting of the Ukraine-Russia intergovernmental economic cooperation committee.

Ukraine should respect Russia's position on issues like its cooperation with NATO, the European Union and the World Trade Organisation (WTO), he said, calling for more consultations between the two nations over their entry into the world trade body.

"If it is NATO, then let it not damage Russia. If it is the WTO, then Russia's relations with the WTO should be considered," he said. "We need to consult more, exchange more and I would say to directly synchronise our talks on entry to the WTO."

Earlier, Ukrainian Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovich had said at the committee meeting that his government strongly hoped to develop relations with Russia on the basis of mutual understanding.

Russia was Ukraine's strategic and economic partner, he said, adding that the two sides depended on each other in the economic field.

Fradkov and Yanukovich also signed a series of documents, including a letter of intent on the meeting's outcome, as well as a program on regional cooperation by 2010.

Ukraine and Russia had been locked in a race to join the WTO, with the two nations expressing wariness of having the other join first. Moscow also fiercely opposed Kiev's intention to seek membership in NATO.

Source: Xinhua