Ukraine will step up cooperation with NATO next year, Foreign Minister vladimir Ogryzko said Thursday.

He claimed that "in essence, the country has already received NATO''s Membership Action Plan /a document that formally opens the road for a country to full-fledged membership -- Itar-Tass/, although this hasn''t been formalized."

Ukrainian government managed to sign six additional agreements with NATO in the outgoing year, which "sets a record in terms of the documents adopted".

"The program for informing the population about NATO remains on the list of priorities," Ogryzko said. "We''d rather cut down the number of business trips abroad but we''ll hold on to this program with our teeth."