Presidential Research & Communications Unit

President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua has disclosed that Nigeria and the Republic of Ukraine would cooperate to stem the tide in illegal trading in small arms especially in the West African region.

The President who made the disclosure while receiving the Letter of Credence from the new Ukrainian Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr. Valerii Vasyliev in the State House, Abuja on November 17 expressed the hope that “Ukraine will help us to bring the illegal trade under control.”

He noted the long-standing friendly relations between the two countries and called for investments in Nigeria’s vast gas reserves, as well as in the manufacturing of fertilizer.
President Yar’Adua welcomed the proposed visit in December of the Ukrainian Foreign Minister and the agreements that would be signed during the visit which he said would promote bilateral investments and trade.

Mr. Vasyliev who was accompanied by his wife and son, and was on his first visit to Nigeria and Africa, said that the visit of his country’s Foreign Minister would be the first of such a high-level delegation to Nigeria.

The Ambassador said that the two agreements on Trade Cooperation and Protection of Investments that would be signed during the visit would give a new impetus to bilateral relations between Nigeria and Ukraine.

In a related development on that day, President Yar’Adua also received the Letters of Credence from Dr. Stefan Scholz and Dr. Roberto Colamine, the new Ambassadors of the Republics of Austria and Italy respectively.

While both Ambassadors pledged to improve on the existing cordial relations between their countries and Nigeria through greater economic investments, the President assured them of the warm support and cooperation of the people and government of Nigeria during their stay in the country.

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