Ukrainian Foreign Minister Leonid Kozhara believes that the European Union and the Customs Union should try to relax their trade rules.
“The question is why the EU and the Customs Union, which have a common border and trade of $446 billion, do not even start talking about facilitating trade, let alone a full free trade area? It’s absurd,” the minister said at the expert forum “Ukraine 2013. Forecasts” in Kyiv on Monday.
He said that a U.S.-EU working group is expected to make a report in February on an agreement on free trade and investment. In addition, the European Commission gives the green light to the talks on a free trade area with Japan, while the Customs Union is holding similar negotiations with Vietnam and starts one with New Zealand, Kozhara added.
In this view, the Ukrainian foreign minister believes the EU and the Customs Union should start a similar dialog.
“We strongly support a common economic space between these two powerful economic associations. Ukraine could easily find a place in this space,” the diplomat said.
