The question of former Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko remains "acute" in the drafting of the association agreement between Ukraine and the EU, Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych has said.
"One of the questions that are acute on the agenda is the question of former Prime Minister Tymoshenko," Yanukovych said at a joint press conference with President of Tajikistan Emomali Rahmon in Kyiv on Thursday.
Speaking about EU Commissioner Stefan Fule’s visit to Ukraine and his visit to Lukyanivka jail to meet with Tymoshenko, Yanukovych said that he personally heard no comments by Fule on the results of this meeting.
"But judging by the current reports, including those in the media, his view was, if it may be called so, positive after he visited the jail," Yanukovych said.
He expressed hope that the Ukraine-EU summit on Dec. 19, Kyiv would receive a "positive decision that will lead to the signing of the association agreement and the creation of a free trade area with the EU."
Yanukovych noted that preliminary agreements with the EU on the preparation of documents for the summit on Dec. 19 remained in force.
"The visit by EU Commissioner Stefan Fule to Ukraine was very important. The preliminary agreements that we reached during the work on a joint agreement, protocol, and declaration by Ukraine and the European Commission during the summit on Dec. 1 are now in force," Yanukovych said.
He noted that he had informed the commissioner about Ukraine’s position regarding documents that are being prepared for signature.
"Our position is very simple. A great deal of work has been done to prepare two documents – the signing of the association [agreement] with the EU and the creation of a free trade area. According to the European commissioner, there are no recommendations for Ukraine, except the one concerning Tymoshenko," he said.
Yanukovych said that Fule said at a meeting with him that over the previous period of time a great deal of work had been done by both sides so that Ukraine made progress along the path of European integration.
"I hope that we will get a positive decision at the summit, which will lead to the signing of the relevant documents," Yanukovych said.
