OREANDA-NEWS. December 24, 2009. Ukraine insists on demarcation of the state border in the Kerch Strait. This message has been distributed by a press office of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine following the next round of negotiations of Ukraine and Russia delegations on the demarcation of the Azov and Black Seas and the Kerch Strait, which was held December 22-23 in Kyiv.

"The Ukrainian side stated that a constructive agreement on the delimitation of the Azov and Black Seas and the regulation of all other problems in those areas can be achieved,” the Foreign Ministry of Ukraine is quoted as saying, “only with the delimitation of the Kerch Strait of frontiers," according to Ukrrudprom news.

The Ukrainian delegation has confirmed its readiness to consider Russia's proposals to guarantee freedom of navigation in the Kerch Strait for Russian vessels, and is looking forward to Russia’s response to the Ukrainian proposals.

According to the press release, during the talks an information on the status of draft bilateral agreements on cooperation in the fields of navigation, fisheries, marine environmental protection and ecological safety in the Azov and Black Seas and the Kerch Strait was heard.

The next round of talks is to be held in the first half of 2010 in Moscow.