MOSCOW, July 10 (RIA Novosti) - Russia has lifted entry restrictions for some Ukrainian officials after a similar step was taken by Ukrainian authorities in a move to ease tensions between the two countries, a diplomatic spokesman said Tuesday.
Kiev canceled Monday its entry ban on a number of Russian politicians and analysts, citing "a need for further development in Russian-Ukrainian relations" and Russian diplomats' insistent requests.
"Russian authorities have made a reciprocal decision to abolish identical restrictions on some Ukrainians," Mikhail Kamynin said, adding this move would hopefully help bilateral relations.
In February, Russia turned away Petro Poroshenko of Ukraine's pro-presidential Our Ukraine party, citing similar bans from Ukrainian authorities, and presidential adviser Mykola Zhulynskiy in June. Our Ukraine stood behind the "orange revolution" in former Soviet Ukraine in 2004, which was not welcomed by Russian authorities.
Ukraine's bans involved Russian lawmaker and analyst Konstantin Zatulin, flamboyant ultra-nationalist Vladimir Zhirinovsky, nationalist analyst Alexander Dugin, pro-Kremlin journalist and TV anchor Mikhail Leontyev, and Kremlin-connected spin doctor Gleb Pavlovsky.
The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry said they had all been banned for "activities linked to attempts to undermine Ukraine's territorial integrity" and "inciting ethnic and national hatred".
Relations between Russia and its former ally Ukraine have deteriorated ever since pro-Western President Viktor Yushchenko's election win in 2004, hitting a low point during a bilateral energy spat in January 2006. Tensions eased somewhat when pro-Russian Viktor Yanukovych became prime minister last August.
