Brussels, 14/04/2015 (Agence Europe) - The European Commission confirmed on Tuesday 14 April that consultations with Russia on the effect on the Russian economy of the EU-Ukraine free-trade agreement (FTA) would resume, at technical level, in Brussels on 20-21 April.
“Trilateral talks will resume next week. We are looking for practical solutions for Russia on the implementation of the EU-Ukraine free-trade agreement. There will be technical-level meetings in Brussels on Monday and Tuesday next. We hope that it will be possible quickly to move from the technical to the political level”, a Commission spokesperson said on Tuesday (our translation).
The re-opening of trilateral discussions on implementing the EU-Ukraine association agreement and its associated trade strand forms part of the Minsk peace accord of 12 February.
Under the trilateral ministerial compromise reached on 12 September 2014 (see EUROPE 11155), the Commission agreed, in response to Russian concerns, to delay until 1 January 2016 provisional implementation of the EU-Ukraine free-trade agreement. (Emmanuel Hagry)