Putin, Yushchenko Meet For First Time Since Gas Dispute

Yushchenko said the recent dispute could be useful as the two countries have adopted principles that are comprehensible and "clear."

"We have been through quite a difficult period in recent months, particularly in the past couple of months," Yushchenko said, "but I think this period was beneficial for us. We have reached principles that we understand and we can present to other parties, principles that are clear…This may have been one of the most difficult episodes in our relationship so I would like to congratulate both sides that it was possible to resolve this."

Putin called the resolution of the gas dispute "correct and mutually beneficial" and said the two countries should now focus on issues other than energy.

The dispute over gas prices plunged relations between Russia and Ukraine to a new low. Under an agreement reached on 4 January, Ukraine will pay nearly twice as much for Russian gas as it did last year.

Anger over the deal resulted in the Ukrainian parliament voting on 10 January to bring down the country's government.

The two presidents met in the Kazakh capital Astana, where they attended the inauguration of President Nursultan Nazarbaev to a new, seven-year term.

(ITAR-TASS/Reuters/AFP/AP)