You're reading: Lukashenko: Minsk summit participants to discuss Russia’s report on Ukraine-EU association agreement’s effects

Minsk - The participants in a meeting between the leaders of the Belarusian-Kazakh-Russian Customs Union member-states, the Ukrainian president, and EU representatives in Minsk plan to discuss a report drawn up by Russia on the effects that the Ukraine-EU association agreement would have on the Customs Union's economy, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said in opening the summit on Aug. 26. 

“Russian President Vladimir Putin instructed experts to prepare this information, and, as far as I know, it has been prepared,” Lukashenko said.

The situation in Ukraine has spread beyond Europe’s geographical boundaries, which is evident from Kazakhstan’s active efforts on preparing a meeting between the leaders of the Customs Union member-states and Ukraine, Lukashenko said.

The Customs Union earlier asked Russia to draw up and present estimates of the Ukraine-EU association agreement’s possible effects for the Customs Union, he said.

The Eurasian Economic Commission is ready to join discussions on the matter, he said.

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko had also insisted earlier on discussing trade relations between Ukraine and the Customs Union in light of the signing of an association agreement between Ukraine and the EU, he said.

Lukashenko said the matter was addressed at his recent meeting with Poroshenko during the latter’s inauguration. He said the Ukrainian leader had asked him then not to hurry to impose the Customs Union’s sanctions on Ukraine.

Tuesday’s summit in Minsk was preceded by several rounds of negotiations between experts from the countries and parties attending the Minsk meeting.

“There are no mediators, lobbyists, and adventurists at the round table today. People extremely interested in normalizing the situation in the center of Europe have gathered here,” he said.