Brussels, 12/01/2011 (Agence Europe) - Stefan Füle, the Commissioner for Enlargement has reiterated the indivisible link established by the European Commission between respect for democratic principles and fundamental rights in Ukraine and any deepening of its relationship with the EU. “Progress in the relationship between Ukraine and the EU depends on (progress made in) reforms and its commitment to common values aiming to reinforce the democratic principles and ensure fundamental rights,” he said on Tuesday 11 January, speaking in Kiev. Ukraine is at an advanced stage in negotiations for an association agreement and the establishment of a free-trade zone with the EU. Both sides have also adopted an action plan to create the conditions for visas to be abolished (see EUROPE 10261). In order not to block these talks, the Ukrainian authorities must respect the rule of law, fundamental freedoms and human rights, Füle stressed. He says that he “shares the impression” of the United States, which recently criticised restrictions on press freedom and “selective persecutions of the political adversaries” of President Viktor Yanukovych. “We share this impression and this is why I raised this question with the people I spoke to,” who include Mr Yanukovych, said the Commissioner. Economically, the Commission is also "concerned" by the level of corruption and the business climate in Ukraine, Füle said. At the last EU-Ukraine summit, the permanent president of the European Council, Herman Van Rompuy, made it clear that Ukraine would have to share the values of the EU if it wished to move forward on the path to European integration. Negotiating an association agreement is not just an economic process, but also a political and democratic process, he said in Brussels on 22 November, speaking alongside Yanukovych (see EUROPE 10261). (H.B./transl.fl)