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Ukraine, EU to continue talks on association agreement after New Year holidays

“Now we are having ‘political vacations’ over seasonal holidays in Europe,” Leonid Kozhara said

© AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky

KIEV, December 24, /ITAR-TASS/. Ukraine and the European Union will continue consultations to coordinate preparations for the signing of the association agreement after the New Year holidays, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Leonid Kozhara told a news conference on Tuesday.

“We have had two rounds of talks in Brussels,” he said. “Now we are having ‘political vacations’ over seasonal holidays in Europe. After the holidays, Ukraine will resume talks.”

At the same time, he noted that it was thanks to the Eastern Partnership summit in Vilnius Ukraine had signed beneficial agreements with Russia.

The summit “might have been wrecking for Ukraine should it sign the Association Agreement with the European Union,” he said. “And the way it ended, was not a failure. On the contrary, it made it possible for us to sign beneficial agreements with Russia.”

According to Kozhara, now Ukraine is in a more advantageous position than before the summit on November 28-29. “Now we can calmly continue association talks with the European Union,” he said.

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