Russia is seeking to increase its presence in the Ukrainian metallurgical, high-technology, and processing industries, Russia's Prime Minister Mikhail Fradkov said during a joint press conference with Ukraine's Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych after a meeting in Moscow on Friday, Cabinet's press office reported.

"We would like to be more actively presented in metallurgy, the sphere of high technologies, the processing industry," Fradkov said.

He expressed confidence that Ukrainian companies would also confirm their desire for a more active presence in Russia.

Fradkov called for deeper integration in the cooperation between Ukraine and Russia. "I would like integration to be deeper and on a broader spectrum of issues," Fradkov said.

According to him, participation in the creation of a Common Economic Area on the territories of Ukraine, Russia, Belarus, and Kazakhstan will be discussed at the meeting of the Ukrainian-Russian intergovernmental economic cooperation committee that is planned for October, together with the issue of lifting restrictions on bilateral trade.

At the same time, he said that deeper integration of Ukraine into the European Union would create better conditions for working and for businesses.

Yanukovych and Fradkov have agreed to convene the first meeting of the Yushchenko-Putin intergovernmental commission's intergovernmental economic cooperation committee in Kyiv between October 20 and 29.