Brussels, 21/02/2005 (Agence Europe) - The Commission for Trade, Peter Mandelson's spokesperson has indicated that the European Commission has requested the USA to support the European Union's efforts to obtain the swift accession of Ukraine to the WTO. On Monday Mandelson met the Ukrainian vice prime minister, Oleh Rybatchouk, before meetings on Tuesday and Wednesday with Ukrainian president Viktor Yushchenko and the European institutions.
Mandelson's spokesperson declared that, “We have contacted the USA to ask them to support our attempts to obtain the rapid accession o Ukraine to the WTO, in 2005 if possible”. The spokesperson also pointed out that the Commission had concluded its bilateral negotiations with Kiev on Ukraine's WTO accession, which the USA and other Member States of the WTO still had to do. WTO accession should be subject to a multilateral agreement by the 148 members of the organisation. Regarding Kiev's other objective, that of getting the EU to grant it market economy status, the spokesperson explained that, “we said that we are quite optimistic for rapid progress in this area if Ukraine takes the measures necessary”. Changes expected include state controlled price controls and bankruptcy law.
Mr Rybatchouk is expected to sign the action plan on Monday for implementing EU neighbourhood policy with Ukraine, during the EU/Ukraine Cooperation Council meeting (EUROPE 19 February 2005 p 5).