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Suspension of Euro-integration by Ukraine coordinated with country’s President

Former Polish President: the government wouldn’t take a single decision without consultations with Viktor Yanukovich

WARSAW, November 22, 17:19 /ITAR-TASS/. Ukrainian government’s decision to suspend preparations for signing an agreement on association with the EU that was taken Thursday was coordinated with Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovich, former Polish president Alexander Kwasniewski said here Friday.

Kwasniewski and the former president of the European Parliament, Pat Cox, co-chaired the parliament’s mission to Ukraine that supervised changes in the judiciary system and the drafting of a law, which would allow former prime minister Yulia Timoshenko, currently serving a jail term, to go to the West for ‘a course of medical treatment’ before termination of her sentence.

“The President has strong positions in that country /Ukraine/ and I feel confident the government wouldn’t take a single decision without consultations with Viktor Yanukovich,” Kwasniewski said.

Yanukovich, who is making an official visit to Austria, turned down a request from Itar-Tass to comment on the cabinet’s decision to suspend work on the association agreement.

However, his aide Andrei Goncharuk who stands at the head of the Main Department for the Problems of International Relations confirmed in an interview with Itar-Tass that the cabinet had passed its decision proceeding solely from the objective situation, or the problems on the domestic market.

“This option requires scrutiny,” he said.

Thursday, the Ukrainian cabinet of ministers decided to suspend preparations for the signing of an agreement on association between Ukraine and the EU, which was due to be signed at a summit meeting of the EU-led Eastern Partnership format countries November 28 and November 29 in the Lithuanian capital Vilnius.

President Yanukovich said on the same day Ukraine would continue its course at integration in Europe.