OREANDA-NEWS. December 22, 2009. President Victor Yushchenko sent a letter to Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko demanding the Government to cease talks with governments of third countries in violation of the established procedure and requirements of the institutional mechanism set out by relevant Presidential Decrees of Ukraine, reported the Official website president.gov.ua.

Particularly the President referred to information that the Ministry of Fuel and Energy of Ukraine is working on a Memorandum of Understanding between the State Atomic Energy Corporation Rosatom and the Ministry of Fuel and Energy of Ukraine on cooperation in geological prospecting, extraction and processing of uranium ore.

In accordance with the instructions of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine and the decision of the Russian-Ukrainian Intergovernmental Commission of August 26, 2009, the main instrument for cooperation in uranium extraction and processing should have been an interdepartmental Memorandum, rather than full scale intergovernmental agreement.

"These actions violate the provisions of President’s Decrees № 204 of March 14, 2007, № 905 of October 3, 2008, № 307-17t of May 12, 2009 and therefore are unconstitutional", said Victor Yushchenko.

In this regard, the President demanded the Ministry of Energy and the Government of Ukraine to cease further elaboration and approval of the Memorandum and elaborate a draft plan of negotiations with the Russian side on the relevant intergovernmental agreement instead.