KIEV, November 24 (Itar-Tass) — Ukraine’s parliament will apply maximum efforts for the signing of the agreement with the EU on a free trade zone and the political association during the Ukraine-EU summit in Kiev on December 19, Speaker of Ukraine’s parliament Vladimir Litvin told a meeting of the committee on parliamentary relations between Ukraine and the EU.
“The current meeting of the committee will be of special importance and will become a sort of a prelude to the Ukraine-EU summit,” he said. “I am adamant that the final settlement of the problems, which are of importance for Ukraine and the EU, opens unprecedented opportunities form Ukraine’s integration in the EU. For Ukraine it will be a new stage in history.”
He stressed that “Ukraine appreciates highly the position of the European Parliament.”
“For example, recognition of the country’s European aspirations,” he continued. “Ukraine and the EU are practically on the final stage towards signing of the agreements on the free trade zone and the political association.”
“We expect final preparation of the documents’ texts by the upcoming summit in December,” Litvin said.
The parliament follows all critical remarks from the European Parliament, including those about the necessity of reforming.
Earlier, in Brussels, Ukraine’s Deputy Foreign Minister Pavel Klimkin told reporters that Ukraine did not have a clear intention to initial the Agreement on Association in the European Union during the Ukraine-EU summit due on December 19.
“We did not have a clear intention to initial /the agreement/ exactly during the summit,” he said. “The idea was to announce completion of the negotiations.”
The initiating itself will become possible following the technical work on the agreement’s text, he explained, but did not specify how much time this work may take.
President Viktor Yanukovich claims that as of now the only item of the Agreement on Association in the European Union, which still lacks approval, is the one about Ukraine’s future membership.