HELSINKI. Oct 26 (Interfax-AVN) - Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko said the gas agreement with Russia is not politically tinged.
"Not a single political issue has been discussed in the context of the gas agreement. I'm certain, the government did nothing of the kind, too," Yushchenko told the press in Helsinki on Wednesday in comments on reports that the agreement had been allegedly reached in exchange for political concessions, including regarding the Russian Black Sea Fleet's basing in Crimea.
"The Black Sea Fleet issue is regulated by two key legal positions: the agreement on the Black Sea Fleet's temporary basing in Ukraine until 2017 and the Ukrainian Constitution, which does not provide for the presence of any foreign military bases in Ukraine," Yushchenko said.
The Ukrainian president said that as the guarantor of the constitution he would do everything possible to honor Ukraine's obligations under the Black Sea Fleet agreement. Regarding the first position, Yushchenko said he is responsible for its observance as well. "We've been finding mutual understanding with Russia within this framework," the Ukrainian president said.