Brussels, 02/10/2003 (Agence Europe) - the Commission is expected to be able to present during the first half of 2004, an action plan for putting into practice, with regard to the Ukraine, the new Wider Europe good neighbour strategy of the EU with 14 east European an and Mediterranean countries that are neighbours to the enlarged EU, without, however, these countries having plans to join the EU. The Ukraine will thus figure without doubt together with Russia, among the first countries to debate and approve such an action plan jointly with the Commission. "The Ukraine must be a priority in the implementation of the Wider Europe strategy" said Commissioner Verheugen on Tuesday at the end of an interview with the new Ukrainian foreign Affairs Ministers, Kostyantyn Gryschcheko. In this action plan, the two sides will identify and define the areas in which co-operation could still be increased, "including the possibility of full integration of the Ukraine in the economic structures of the European Union", namely in the internal market, explained Mr Verheugen. Speaking later in the day to the foreign affairs committee of the European Parliament, Verheugen, put the possibility of the Ukraine (or other countries) being fully integrated into the European market, into context. The economic integration in the internal market constitutes the most ambitious option possible in the context of Wider Europe. It's the maximum possible but I wouldn't say that we had to do it or where we are going to do it". The concept of "Wider Europe" does not offer any perspective of accession for the 14 countries involved but the Ukraine continues to reiterate that its own long term ambition is to join the EU. The Ukrainian Minister indicated on Tuesday that, "Our ultimate objective is full integration into the Union". Up to then , the Ukraine wants to go forward step by step". The Minister said that, "We want a practical result-oriented action plan". Asked about the agreement recently concluded between the leaders of the Ukraine, Russia, Byelorussia and Kazakhstan in view of the creation of a "Common Economic Zone", Mr Verheugen said that he was happy with the "assurances" obtained from Kiev that the implementation of this framework agreement would respect the contractual arrangement that Ukraine had already taken in regard of the EU (Partnership and Co-operation Agreement) and that it would not go against the "European ambitions" of the country in the future.