Putin says "happy birthday" to Tymoshenko in France

Updated: 2009-11-27 20

(Xinhua)

A visitor walks near a doll depicting Ukraine's Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko dressed as Robin Hood in Kiev November 25, 2009. Seven dolls made by Ukrainian artist Yelena Kuznetsova depicting Ukrainian politicians will be sold at a charity auction to raise funds for the building of a children's rehabilitation centre outside Kiev. [Agencies]

MOSCOW: Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin congratulated Ukrainian counterpart Yulia Tymoshenko on her birthday while on a two-day working visit to Paris on Friday, said his press secretary.

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"While in Paris on a working visit, Putin sent a telegram and made a telephone call to congratulate Tymoshenko on her birthday," Dmitry Peskov was quoted by the Interfax news agency as saying.

"He also highly praised the results of their recent talks in Yalta," said the press secretary, referring to the two leaders' November 19 meeting in the southern Ukrainian city Yalta, during which they agreed to revise some articles in the gas contract they signed in January.

The EU's main energy supplier, Russia cut off gas deliveries to its main pipelines through Ukraine for nearly two weeks in January, leaving tens of thousands of Europeans without heating gas in the depths of winter.