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Head of the Ukrainian parliament's European integration committee Borys Tarasiuk has said he expects an association agreement between Ukraine and the European Union to be signed in the second half of next year.

"In my opinion, there is every reason to feel optimistic about the future association agreement, which will evidently be signed in the second half of next year," Tarasiuk said at a conference in Kyiv on Wednesday.

The Ukrainian MP said he hoped this agreement would give an answer to "the question about the prospects of Ukraine's membership in the EU."

Kyiv is to host a Ukraine-EU summit on December 4, during which the Ukrainian authorities expect to receive answers to a number of questions, he said.

Tarasiuk said he was speaking about work on a so-called roadmap on visa-free travel for Ukrainian citizens.

The signing of the association agreement will also help complete talks on the creation of a trade zone between Ukraine and the EU, he added.