30 December 2014, 12:21 GMT
KIEV, January 9 (Sputnik) — Ukraine suffered as a result of decreased trade with Russia in 2014, but expects to compensate that by contracts with China, the country's Minister of Agrarian Policy and Food stated.
"In addition to the European Union we have a great interest in China. Our Chinese partners [represent] a very big market," Oleksiy Pavlenko told Ukraine's 5 Kanal TV station Thursday.
As Russia has restricted the import of vegetables, fruits and dairy products from Ukraine, the minister also added that Asian countries are "actively sizing up" the country's market.
On December 30, 2014, Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk said that Russia is soon likely to lose its main trade partner status with Ukraine, adding that the trade turnover with Russia had decreased significantly in recent years.
