The rules of the World Trade Organization (WTO) provide ample opportunities to resolve the issues that Russia may have in the case of the formation of a free trade area between Ukraine and the European Union, Ukrainian Prime Minister Mykola Azarov has said.

"I noticed that the WTO rules, which apply both to Russia and Ukraine, provide ample opportunities to regulate possible re-exports, and many other issues that Russia is currently speaking about," Azarov told reporters in Astana on Wednesday.

"We have started quite a difficult and complicated process, but I am confident that with good will we can resolve all issues, including these ones," he added.

In addition, Azarov said that during a meeting with Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev, they discussed the outstanding issues of bilateral trade and economic relations, in particular the problems with customs clearance, imports of confectionery and pipes.

He also said that they decided to instruct Russian First Deputy Prime Minister Igor Shuvalov and Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Yuriy Boiko to settle all of the existing issues through "either solving them, or preparing proposals for their solution" by the meeting of the Ukrainian-Russian intergovernmental committee on economic cooperation, which will be held in Kaluga (Russia) on October 15.