President Vladimir Putin sent a message to participants in the 4th Forum of Russian and Ukrainian Twin Cities 2003-04-17 00:00:00 The message said, in part: “Close friendly ties between our countries and their cooperation in the political, economic and cultural fields have a solid foundation. It is built on common history and the mutual interest of the Russian and Ukrainian peoples in each other. Twin cities have always played a large role in strengthening good-neighbourly relations between the two states. “Today, local government bodies and public and business initiatives do a great deal to help solve regional problems, establish production ties, further cross-border trade, and promote the development of small business.”