The development of trade and economic cooperation between Belarus in Ukraine is one of the most important tasks for Ukraine, first deputy chairman of the Verkhovna Rada Ihor Kaletnik has said.

"Over the first nine months the trade [with Belarus] reached almost $5 billion, while in 2012, it stood at nearly $8 billion," he said at the fourth meeting of the Inter-Parliamentary Cooperation Commission of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine and the National Assembly of Belarus, Kaletnik's press service reported.

At the same time, the development of cooperation with the countries of the Customs Union is still very important for Ukraine, he said.

"Ukraine's trade over the first nine months of this year with the EU member-states and that with the countries of the Customs Union is almost identical, $34 billion and $30 billion, respectively. This means that the economic interests of Ukraine have a rather wide geography," Kaletnik said.

In addition, he said that their strategic task was the efficient use of the transit potential of the two countries, as well as deepening scientific and industrial cooperation.

On November 12, Kyiv is hosting the fourth meeting of the Inter-Parliamentary Cooperation Commission of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine and the National Assembly of Belarus. Kaletnik co-chairs the Inter-Parliamentary Commission.