KIEV, Jan. 14 - Economic cooperation with Russia will help Ukraine accelerate its effort to join the European Union, Russian Ambassador to Ukraine Viktor Chernomyrdin said.

"Ukraine is considering membership of the European Union today. We are all for it! What is bad in that Ukraine wants to rise to a European level? It's not that Ukraine is not being let into the European Union. It's that Ukraine is not prepared for this today. Meanwhile, joint work on economic problems will give Ukraine a chance to prepare for membership of the Europeans Union better. Ukraine's joining the Common Economic Space would facilitate this. This is what we are talking about," the Russian ambassador said in an interview with the Ukraina magazine, according to the Russian embassy's press service.