26/10/2010 (Agence Europe) - The EU wants to “deepen and develop” relations with Ukraine, “which is a European country”, EU High Representative for Foreign Policy Catherine Ashton said after a policy dialogue meeting with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Konstyantyn Gryshchenko in Brussels on 26 October. Preparation of the EU-Ukraine summit, in Brussels on 22 November, and the state of play in negotiations on an association agreement and a free-trade area were at the heart of their discussions. Ashton was optimistic: she said that the local elections taking place this weekend in Ukraine would meet democratic norms and standards. “Ukraine has a habit of good elections, and should preserve and, of course, build on that,” she told press. Following the recent Ukrainian constitutional court ruling which rescinded the 2004 reform of the constitution, Ashton said that “further constitutional reform is a key priority”. The EU hopes that these reforms will be accomplished through an “inclusive process” with the aim of putting in place a “lasting system of checks and balances that accord with European standards,” Ashton stated. (H.B./transl.rt)