Brussels – European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso has said that the dialogue with the Ukrainian authorities has not given any concrete results.
Barroso said that since the Vilnius summit, he had spoken twice to Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych. EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Catherine Ashton went to Kyiv to meet with Yanukovych and other key players, while a delegation led by deputy Prime Minister of Ukraine Serhiy Arbuzov had meetings in the European Commission.
“But these talks were never followed by a clear indication of a commitment by the Ukrainian authorities to sign the agreement. That is why we believe it was not worthwhile now continuing what could be seen as just a way of keeping a dialogue but without concrete results,” he said.
At the same time, the European Commission’s president added that their partners should choose their path freely and with their full sovereignty.
Barroso said that the EU “is ready to stand by and support our partners in their reform processes.” “This is not a process against someone, but rather a project for something. A project for democracy, for prosperity and for stability,” the European Commission president said.
At the same time, the EU’s partners also need to be committed to reforms and “commitment to our common values should remain an essential condition for any agreement.”
The European Commission president said that the continuing protests and demonstrations in Ukraine show clearly that the Ukrainian people want freedom, prosperity and stability.
