Ukrainian Prime Minister: Our partners must reckon with free trade area between Ukraine and EU as reality

The fact, that after signing the Association Agreement with the European Union Ukraine will create a free trade area with the EU, must be taken as reality. Prime Minister Mykola Azarov announced during a session of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine on August 28, 2013.

Mykola Azarov stressed Ukraine worked for the development of mutually beneficial cooperation with other countries.

At this, he emphasized that Ukraine had taken as reality creation of the Customs Union, in the same way there must be taken the fact that after signing the Association Agreement with the European Union Ukraine would create a free trade zone with the EU.

“The fact that in one year a new association has emerged on our borders – the Customs Union of Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan – is taken by us as reality in which we must be working. The fact that from January 1, 2015 this association will transfer to a higher level of integration and the cooperation subject will become the Eurasian Economic Community is also taken by us as an objective factor of our economic relations. That’s why already now the authorities and business of Ukraine are trying to actively adjust their actions so that in mutual trade with EAEC there would not be any barriers,” Mykola Azarov explained. “Hence, the fact that after signing the Association Agreement with the European Union Ukraine will create a free trade zone with the EU must be taken in the same way, as reality”.

At this, the Premier insists that “these integration projects must not be opposed, but vise versa - optimal ways of interaction must be elaborated”.

According to Mykola Azarov, taking into account interests of mutually beneficial cooperation Ukraine is ready to gradually join certain agreements in effect in the Customs Union so that to optimize the trade regime.

The Head of Government instructed Governmental commissioner to the Collegium of Eurasian Economic Community Viktor Suslov in synergy with the Russian colleagues to decide and suggest to the Government an action plan in this direction.

Adapted from kmu.gov.ua