Ukraine parliament names pro-western Foreign Minister - AFP

Ukraine`s parliament named a strongly pro-Western foreign minister Tuesday after picking Orange Revolution leader Yulia Tymoshenko as prime minister, AFP reports.

The parliament voted 227-0 for Volodymyr Ogryzko, who has been serving as deputy foreign minister and favors the ex-Soviet republic joining the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and the European Union.

Opposition deputies, who oppose the NATO bid and back closer ties with Russia, boycotted the vote.

Tymoshenko, who helped lead the pro-democracy Orange Revolution in 2004, earlier won the post of prime minister. The pro-Russian opposition also boycotted that vote.