Former Russian Ambassador to Ukraine Viktor Chernomyrdin has left a large footprint on Ukrainian territory, Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych has said.
"We worship him as a man who left a large footprint on our Ukrainian soil," the presidential press service quoted him as saying.
Yanukovych said that Chernomyrdin had been "a great friend of Ukraine, and a personal friend."
Yanukovych recalled a case when, serving as Russian prime minister, Chernomyrdin had helped Donetsk region resolve the issue of gas supplies.
"In tough times for the Donbas, when he was Russia's prime minister, we faced a problem with gas - there was virtually no gas and no pressure. I turned to the Russian leadership. Chernomyrdin gave the instruction – gas was pumped from the Urengoy reserve storage facilities and supplied from [Russia's] Krasnodar region to Ukraine. He helped us on New Year's Eve, and we saved our industry and our homes. He helped us a lot," Yanukovych said
Speaking about Chernomyrdin's time as Russian ambassador to Ukraine, he said that he was "a very balanced and experienced statesman and politician."
"Chernomyrdin loved Ukraine very much," Yanukovych said.
The presidential administration did not confirm to Interfax-Ukraine reports in the Russian media that Yanukovych would head the Ukrainian delegation at Chernomyrdin's funeral.
As earlier reported, Foreign Minister Kostiantyn Hryschenko will head the Ukrainian delegation at Chernomyrdin's funeral in Moscow on November 5.
Chernomyrdin, who was ambassador to Ukraine from 2001 to 2009, died early on November 3, aged 72. He had been ill for some time, but the cause of his death has not yet been announced by the Russian authorities. He will be buried on November 5 at the Novodevichy cemetery in Moscow.
