Brussels, 26/03/2012 (Agence Europe) - The association agreement between the EU and Ukraine will be initialled in Brussels on 30 March, the spokesperson for Enlargement Commissioner Stefan Füle announced on Monday 26 March, stating that this was a “technical process”. According to the spokesman for the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry, Ukrainian Deputy Foreign Minister Pavel Klimkin and European External Action Service Managing Director for Russia, Eastern Neighbourhood and the Western Balkans Miroslav Lajcak will initial the document.
Initialling in no way prejudges conclusion of the agreement as EU member states must thereafter sign and ratify it. The signatures and ratifications depend on political progress in Ukraine: progress on the rule of law, review of the trials of former Ukrainian leaders, including Iulia Tymoshenko - trials which are seen as political in Europe - and reform of the justice system. (CG/transl.rt)