A final decision on granting Ukraine the status of observer in the Eurasian Economic Commission, which is a supranational regulatory body of the Customs Union, is still pending, and negotiations are continuing, Russia's Deputy Economic Development Minister Alexei Likhachev told the Russian media.

"Indeed, the Ukrainian side has prepared and sent us a draft memorandum of assignment to Ukraine of an observer status at the EEC. They have an observer status in the Eurasian Economic Community, so they proposed that we consider the possibility of their becoming an observer in the EEC, too. We have really got this document, and now there are both bilateral negotiations, and today's EEC board meeting also discussed this issue - further efforts in preparing this memorandum. But this is not a solution to the issue," the deputy minister said.

Answering the question whether the memorandum can be signed at the presidential level in May, Likhachev said that "all things are possible." "But I believe that now it is difficult to answer this question unequivocally," he added.

As the media reported, Prime Minister Mykola Azarov said on Tuesday that Ukraine had agreed with the Customs Union an observer status in it.


 

Ukrinform