UKRAINE SETS SIGHTS ON FULL EUROPEAN UNION MEMBERSHIP.

Ukrainian foreign minister Hennady Udovenko said yesterday that the country aspires to full membership in the European Union and will make every effort to attain the "qualitatively new stage of national development" that will qualify Ukraine for admission to the EU. Udovenko was addressing a session in Kiev of the EU-Ukraine committee tasked to monitor their cooperation. Noting the recent, rapid growth in Ukrainian imports from the EU trade, Udovenko called for recognition of Ukraine as a country with a transitional (rather that centrally planned) economy, qualifying for broader access to EU markets, and for faster ratification of the EU-Ukraine partnership and cooperation agreement by the national parliaments of EU countries. (Western agencies, Interfax-Ukraine, May 6 and 7).

Armenian-Russian Military Agreements Signed.