Ukraine President to Visit Iran

KIEV, Ukraine -- Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko plans to visit Iran in the first half of this year, the presidency announced here Thursday after the ex-Soviet republic's new leader held talks with a visiting Iranian envoy.

Mehdi Safari, a special envoy of Iranian President Mohammad Khatami, discussed ways to expand economic cooperation between the two countries, said a statement issued by Yushchenko's office.


Viktor Yushchenko (l) and Mehdi Safari (r)
Among areas where joint projects are being studied are the construction of gas pipelines, the oil sector, shipbuilding, space technology and the aircraft industry, the statement said.

Yushchenko, a reformist liberal who took power earlier this year after his Western-backed "orange revolution" ousted the pro-Moscow regime, has not hesitated nonetheless to ruffle Washington's feathers.

Ukraine is to pull out its troops from Iraq, dealing a blow to the US-led coalition forces, and continue to develop ties with Iran, a country seen as a "rogue state" by the United States, which accuses it of developing nuclear weapons.