Ukrainian Foreign Minister Leonid Kozhara has said that the Russian Black Sea Fleet could be modernized under the agreements signed in 1997, which concern the fleet's presence in Crimea.

"Negotiations are ongoing, and we understand that the Russian Black Sea Fleet has to be modernized. But there is a certain framework established by the agreements of 1997, and all of these processes have to occur as part of these agreements," he said in an exclusive interview with Interfax-Ukraine.

He said that Kyiv supports the efforts of the Russian side to modernize its fleet, but the number and quality of fleet employees are determined by current agreements, and this has to be taken into account.

As for the taxation of goods and cargo imported into Ukraine for the Russian Black Sea Fleet, Kozhara said that this issue was being resolved during the negotiating process.

As reported, in April 2010, the presidents of Ukraine and Russia signed the so-called Kharkiv agreements that extended a lease on the stationing of the Russian Black Sea Fleet in Crimea for another 25 years (after 2017) with its possible extension for five more years – until 2047.

Since then, the Russian side has repeatedly expressed its desire to rearm its fleet in Crimea and submitted a respective question to the Ukrainian side.