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Medvedev congratulates Yanukovych

MOSCOW: Russian President Dmitry Medvedev congratulated Ukraine’s opposition leader Viktor Yanukovych on his victory in the presidential race, even as Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko has refused to concede defeat.

Mr. Medvedev, the first among world leaders, called Mr. Yanukovych on Tuesday to congratulate him “on the conclusion of the election campaign”, said the Kremlin press service.

The gesture signalled Moscow’s happiness at the victory of a candidate who promised to rebuild close ties with Russia that severely suffered under the outgoing pro-West President Viktor Yushchenko.

The Foreign Ministry said Moscow hoped the new leadership in “friendly” Ukraine will “facilitate full-fledged and all-round development of truly good-neighbourly Russian-Ukrainian relations”.

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