Brussels, 02/11/2010 (Agence Europe) - Given the recent progress made in talks for a free trade agreement between the EU and Ukraine, the European Commission is confident that an arrangement will be sealed by summer 2011. Kiev, however, wants its sensitivity in agricultural matters to be taken adequately into account.
Visiting the Ukrainian prime minister, Mykola Azarov, in Kiev on 28 October, European Trade Commissioner Karel De Gucht spoke of the significant progress made in talks for a trade agreement with Ukraine. “We have made considerable progress in our negotiations. We are extremely pleased about this and we want to conclude these negotiations as quickly as possible”, De Gucht assured, specifying that three or four rounds of talks will still be necessary. The next bilateral EU/Ukraine summit in Brussels on 22 November is expected to give fresh impetus to talks, and the trade commissioner is confident an agreement will be reached within six or seven months, i.e. by summer 2011.
Although he welcomed the swift progress made in talks with the 27 EU member states, the Ukrainian head of government placed emphasis on a number of Kiev's concerns, especially those relating to agriculture. “I would just like to draw your attention to several issues that require discussion. These questions are fundamental for us and they are to be solved”, Azarov explained to the press. It is mainly on the agricultural chapter that Ukraine hopes to see its concerns taken sufficiently into account, in particular concerning the question of export subsidies, which are to disappear in its bilateral trade with the EU, and also that of the price mechanism for agricultural product inputs, which is also doomed to be discarded. In order to ensure the sustainable development of Ukraine's economy, Azarov also underlined the importance of having unrestricted access to the EU market for Ukraine's manufactured products. Finally, the Ukrainian prime minister raised the question of road transport, for which the EU is seeking to limit traffic on its territory but which is a major sector of activity in Ukraine, with no fewer than 34,000 heavy goods vehicles in active service.
The 14th round of talks is scheduled for early December. (E.H./transl.jl)