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Ukraine planning to sign Association Agreement with EU

Foreign Minister Leonid Kozhara: “Ukraine expects the Association Agreement with the EU to be signed”

Photo EPA/ITAR-TASS

Photo EPA/ITAR-TASS

PRAGUE, September 11 (Itar-Tass) - Ukraine is planning to sign the Association Agreement with the EU, Foreign Minister Leonid Kozhara said.

Speaking at a news conference after the talks with his Czech counterpart Jan Kohout on Wednesday, Kozhara said, “Ukraine expects the Association Agreement with the EU to be signed.”

But he declined to elaborate.

Answering an Itar-Tass question, the Ukrainian minister said, “The Customs Union is Ukraine’s key trade partner and Ukraine has gotten the observer status. We seriously treat the Russian leaders’ statement and we hope that Ukraine’s integration into the EU will not hamper broad economic cooperation with the Customs Union.”

“The basics of foreign trade will create an opportunity to expand cooperation with Russia in the future,” Kozhara said.

However, there is no associated membership in the EU. The signing of the Association Agreement is a mechanism to maintain economic partnership between the EU and third countries.

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