LONDON, Feb 1: Russian

Foreign Minister Yevgeny Primakov^aid late Wednesday that*Moscow did not consider its had a veto over the eastward expansion of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation. though it opposed it, reports AFP.

Primakov, quoted by ITAR-Tass news agency monitored here by the BBC, was speaking in Kiev after talks with his Ukrainian cOunter-part Gennady Udovenko.

Russia was against such expansion. Primakov said, but went on: "This does not mean that we consider that we are entitled to veto' or entitled to prohibit certain countries from Joining this military bloc."

He said he hoped the Russian leadership would manage "to find some solutions with the West and a way .out of the situation."

Tass quoted Udovenko as saying that Ukraine's position

■coincides with Russia's on the issue of NATO's expansion eastwards."

He added: "Uke Russia, we consider the national interest of our states should be taken into consideration.”

Ukraine broadly supports NATO expansion, which would ultimately bring the alliance right up to Russia's western borders.

The Russian news agency Interfax reported meanwhile that Primakov and Udovenko continued to differ about the consequences of the two countries' continuing disagreement over the future of the Black Sea Fleet.

Primakov said the problem should be resolved before Russian President Boris Yeltsin visits the Ukrainian capital, the Russian news agency Interfax reported.

Yeltsin is due at the end of March to sign a friendship treaty. *