Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych on Thursday called for closer relations with the Customs Union, which currently comprises Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan.
"I suppose our progress in relations with the Customs Union will be based on new legal ground regarding free trade agreements and possibly a package contract on cooperation using a 3-plus-1 formula," Yanukovych said in a speech to Ukranian parliamentarians.
This would help to boost ties between the European and Eurasian economic areas, he said.
In the speech, he also talked of cooperation with other countries.
"We have started to develop contacts with Central and South-East Asia and Latin America. We have seen a breakthrough in relations with China," Yanukovych said.
Yanukovych said Ukraine should also reform its energy sector in order to increase the country's potential and improve infrastructure.
The speech was Yanukovych's first annual national address on domestic and foreign policy.