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| English.news.cn 2010-04-27 16:00:24 |
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| Deputies scuffle during a session in the chamber of the Ukrainian parliament in Kiev, capital of Ukraine, April 27, 2010. Fighting broke out and smoke bombs were released Tuesday in the Ukrainian parliament over an agreement with Russia to extend the stay of Russia's Black Sea Fleet in Ukraine's Crimea. Meanwhile, thousands of opposition demonstrators rallied outside the parliament to protest the extension to the Russian navy's stay.(Xinhua/Reuters Photo) |
KIEV, April 27 (Xinhua) -- The Ukrainian parliament ratified on Tuesday an agreement to prolong the stay of the Russian navy in Ukraine's port of Sevastopol until 2042.
The agreement was supported by 236 lawmakers in the 450-member assembly.
Last week, Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych and his Russian counterpart Dmitry Medvedev signed the deal in the eastern Ukrainian city Kharkiv.
Russia agreed to give Ukraine a significant discount on the price of imported gas in exchange for an extension of the right to base its Black Sea Fleet on Ukrainian territory.
According to the agreement, Ukraine will receive a discount of 100 U.S. dollars per 1,000 cubic meters on natural gas, if the price is not below 330 dollars. But if the price goes below 330 dollars, the discount will be stand at 30 percent.
In return, Ukraine will prolong the lease of Russia's Black Sea Fleet on its Crimean peninsula by 25 years, with the option to extend the lease for five more years after the new term expires.
