KIEV, March 11 - The Ukrainian presidential secretariat insists on privatizing the national telecoms provider Ukrtelecom in 2008, arguing that its state management is no longer capable of ensuring profitable development.

"We should have privatized Ukrtelecom several years ago. It's not too late to do this today, but, in our view, Ukrtelecom's privatization can no longer be pushed back. The situation in Ukrtelecom itself vividly shows this," first deputy presidential secretariat chief Oleksandr Shlapak said at a news briefing in Kiev.