Brussels, 17/06/2014 (Agence Europe) - During a third consultation meeting in Brussels, on Tuesday 17 June, on the potential effects for the Russian economy of the association agreement between the EU and Ukraine, and of the trade section of this agreement, the European Commission assured the Russian authorities of the compatibility of the future agreement. The agreement is due to be signed on 27 June, with the participation of Ukraine in the free-trade agreements of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS). “A suspension of the preferential trade relations between Ukraine and the Russian Federation would be unwarranted”, said John Clancy, spokesperson for European Commissioner for Trade Karel De Gucht, on Tuesday.
During the discussions, the Russian delegation (led by the very experienced Maxim Medvedkov, who is director of Russia's Ministry of Economic Development, and who led the Russian WTO membership negotiations) underlined the importance of the Ukrainian market for Russian exporters of agricultural and manufactured products. The Russian delegation also suggested setting up a mechanism to ensure transparency on future changes in Ukrainian technical regulations.
In addition, the European Commission and Russian administration assessed specific economic aspects - such as competition rules and state aid, industrial cooperation, rules of origin and the prevention of fraud in trade. They also examined in detail the possible implications of the regulatory approximation provided for in the association agreement.
The two parties agreed to continue their talks. Last week, European Commission President José Manuel Barroso proposed to Russia that consultations on implementing the association agreement be held at political level, and involving Ukraine. The consultations will be led by De Gucht in the coming weeks. (EH)