PRAUGUE, Dec. 20 - Czech Prime Minister Petr Necas has said that the Czech Republic supports Ukraine in its European Union membership aspirations.

"Ukraine is a priority in our foreign relations and foreign trade," Necas said at a press conference in Prague on Monday after meeting with Ukrainian Prime Minister Mykola Azarov.

Necas said that the increase in trade between the two countries was seen as having great potential.

"We want to expand our economic relations, and we see great potential in energy, engineering, metallurgy, infrastructure, and in the field of transport engineering and renewable energy."