Ukraine should start practical negotiations with the European Union on the terms of the signing of an association and free trade agreement, Prime Minister Mykola Azarov has said.
“We should start practical negotiations on the terms of the signing of an association and free trade agreement with the EU,” he said, while opening a government meeting on Thursday.
Azarov recalled that he had instructed Deputy Prime Minister Yuriy Boiko to make a thorough sectoral analysis of the consequences of the creation of a free trade area with the EU for the Ukrainian economy.
“We don’t need any assumptions. We need to speak the language of facts, figures and convincing arguments with our partners, because the existence of Ukraine, which is developing its own modern economy, rather than the economy of other countries, is in the balance. It’s impossible to ignore any challenge, and I’m sure that the facts will find an understanding of our European partners, when we put on the table a package of conditions for the implementation of an association and free trade agreement,” he added.
Azarov said that this work should be done in a very short time. At the same time, it is also necessary to promptly proceed to the practical implementation of the Ukrainian-Russian agreement on industrial cooperation, he added.
“Thus, the task is to ensure that we have in February a balanced systemic project for the development of our country, making use of the advantages given by a free trade area with the CIS, industrial cooperation with Russia and cooperation with the countries of the European Union. We need coordinated systems of actions on concrete areas, sectors and even individual companies,” he said.
