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Ukraine may sign agreement on association with EU in early 2014

No one in Europe perceives the suspension of Ukraine’s integration in the EU as a tragedy, Azarov said.

KIEV, November 25, 0:56 /ITAR-TASS/. Ukraine’s Prime Minister Nikolai Azarov does not rule out that an agreement on association between this country and the EU may be signed in the course of the Ukraine-EU summit at the beginning of 2014.

He said it Sunday in an interview with the ICTV channel.

No one in Europe perceives the suspension of Ukraine’s integration in the EU as a tragedy, Azarov said. He referred to a statement by the European Commission President Stefan Fuele, who had indicated that the agreement on association might be signed at the next summit in the Ukraine-EU format.

“Look, this proves that absolutely no one in Europe looks upon the fact as if it were a tragedy, the way that our oppositionists try to peddle it in order to destabilize the social and political situation in the country,” Azarov said.

“In reality, though, the EU fully understands our economic situation and Fuele’s statement actually shows there’s nothing tragic in the fact and the agreement might be signed at the next summit,” he said. “It shows that common sense does exist and that we took a correct decision because we must find some compensatory mechanisms now.”

“We shouldn’t by any means ignore the problems that emerge,” Azarov said.

November 21, the Ukrainian government decided to suspend the preparations for the signing of the agreement that was due to take place at the EU summit in Vilnius, Lithuania, November 28-29.

On the evening of the same day, many Ukrainians came to the city’s Independence Square to protest against the cabinet’s decision.

Up to 3,000 people are gathering downtown Kreshchatik Avenue every time since then. Similar protest actions are being held in other regions of the country, too.