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Yanukovich starts visit to Vienna

Ukrainian president will visit his Austria counterpart

© EPA/HBF/CARINA KARLOVITS/HANDOUT

VIENNA, November 21. /ITAR-TASS/. Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovich has started an official visit to Austria for talks with Austrian counterpart Heinz Fischer.

After the talks the presidents will make a statement and answer journalists’ questions. Then Yanukovich will meet Austrian parliament speaker Barbara Prammer and Federal Minister for European and International Affairs Michael Spindelegger and Vienna Burgomaster Michael Haupl.

The presidents’ talks are expected to focus on political, trade and economic cooperation and prospects for Ukraine’s European integration. It is remarkable that Vienna became the last platform for Ukraine’s dialogue with European colleagues ahead of the Eastern Partnership in Vilnius on November 28-29. Ukraine is expected to sign the Association Agreement with the EU at the summit.

Ukraine’s Verkhovna Rada has approved a European integration draft on election law. A total of 365 deputies out of 450 parliamentarians voted for the draft law.

Ukrainian deputies refused to back several draft laws on prisoners’ treatment abroad. The draft laws should have to allow ex-premier Yulia Timoshenko, who serves a seven-year term for abuse of powers, to go abroad for medical treatment.

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