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Ukraine is preparing to sign EU association agreement at Vilnius summit

Prime Minister Azarov: we are now focused on the solution of economic problems

ST. PETERSBURG, November 20 (Itar-Tass) - Kiev is preparing for the Eastern Partnership summit in Vilnius, where it hopes to sign the Association Agreement with the European Union, Ukrainian Prime Minister Nikolai Azarov said at a joint news conference with his Russian counterpart Dmitry Medvedev and his Belarusian colleague Mikhail Myasnikovich on Wednesday.

“We are now focused on the solution of economic problems in the first place. The preparations for the Vilnius summit proceed according to the schedule without any trouble,” Azarov said, adding that the Ukrainian parliament was working on the approval of all required bills.

The premier added that the government was also very busy drafting the state budget for 2014; the draft is to be considered at the plenary session of the Cabinet of Ministers on November 27.

The Ukrainian parliament has not yet considered the bills allowing prisoners to undergo medical treatment abroad, which would grant Ukrainian former prime minister Yulia Timoshenko such an opportunity. She is now serving her seven-year jail term for authority abuse when signing gas contracts with Russia in 2009. Besides that, a prosecution bill and an amendment to elective legislation still need approval.

The approval of these three bills is a mandatory condition set by the EU on which Ukraine will be admitted to the European Free Trade Area and the Association Agreement may be be signed in Vilnius on November 28.