Ukraine has not discarded the 3+1 formula of its cooperation with the Customs Union but is also carefully studying the proposals of the Russian side, Ukrainian Prime Minister Mykola Azarov has said.
“We are currently studying the operation of the Customs Union, we are looking into what is positive about it. We have already offered our formula of working with the Customs Union. Unfortunately, this formula is not accepted by our partners, but we do not discard this idea. We want to work with the Customs Union indeed. And we are carefully studying the latest offer by the Russian President [Vladimir] Putin,” he said in an interview with the Russian newspaper Zavtra (Tomorrow).
At the same time Azarov, complained that the Ukrainian opposition did not accept the idea of rapprochement with the Customs Union. “They do not want even to listen, do not want to talk. All that brings us a little bit closer with Russia and Belarus arouses strong objection from our opposition, the refusal even to discuss these topics. They say this: if we are moving towards the Customs Union, we are closing our way to Europe, and we dream to be in Europe,” he said.
Russian President Vladimir Putin after a meeting with Ukrainian counterpart Viktor Yanukovych in Yalta on July 13 said that Russia and its partners in the Customs Union will not force other countries, including Ukraine, to participate in the Customs Union.
