Ukraine, EU not to sign free trade agreement in September
2011-06-21 17:50:18
An agreement on the creation of a free trade area between the European Union and Ukraine will not be signed in September 2011, Head of the Delegation of the European Union to Ukraine Jose Manuel Pinto Teixeira has said.
He said that very little time remained until September and that "there remain several issues that have not yet been definitively resolved."
Teixeira said that another round of talks on signing an association agreement, which also foresees the creation of a free trade area, was being held in Kyiv this week.
"In terms of various components, including a free trade area and other elements, which we call a political agreement, there remained very insignificant unresolved issues that largely depend on the political will in Ukraine and the desire to fulfill certain conditions," he said.
In his opinion, the association agreement is a standard document, which, if signed, offers significant opportunities for cooperation between Ukraine and the EU.
Earlier, an employee of one of the services of EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Catherine Ashton, who requested anonymity, said that if the EU and Ukraine hold successful negotiations in June 2011, then the sides could sign an agreement on association and a free trade area in September 2011.
In April 2011, Ukrainian Prime Minister Mykola Azarov said at a meeting with European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso that Ukraine was ready to seek certain compromises in talks with the EU on signing the association agreement, which envisages the creation of a free trade area.