Brussels, 27/10/2006 (Agence Europe) - At a EU-Ukraine Summit in Helsinki on Friday 27 October, the European Union reiterated its determination to press ahead before the end of the year if possible with negotiations over a more ambitious cooperation agreement with Ukraine. According to the European Commission's draft negotiating mandate, the agreement will foresee the signing of a free trade zone and will replace the current Partnership and Cooperation Agreement (PCA) which expires at the end of 2007. On the prospects of Ukraine joining the EU, Jose Manuel Barroso, the President of the European Commission, said: 'Ukraine is not ready and we are not ready. Ukraine still has reforms to do, let's be honest about it, and today in the European Union we are not ready, our Member States are not ready, to assume new membership obligations'.
The President of Ukraine, Viktor Yushchenko, repeated his country's EU ambitions, however, saying: 'A switch from partnership and cooperation to political association and economic integration will be the essence of a new agreement between Ukraine and the EU. It is very important for Ukraine to make sure that a new agreement does not look like an amended agreement on partnership and cooperation. The new agreement should include clear provisions on goals and deadlines for implementing them.' He stressed the importance of the prospect of Ukraine being able to join the EU in the future: 'We want the EU doors open.'
Energy was naturally one of the main subjects of discussion at the summit. Ukraine gave assurances that there would not be any transit problems for Russian gas supplies to the EU this winter. After the meeting, Jose Manuel Barroso said: 'We discussed the security of gas supplies to Ukraine as well as transit to the European Union for this winter. We were given assurances on this by President Yushchenko.' Barroso welcomed the recent gas agreements between Ukraine and Russia, noting: 'We don't anticipate any problems, at least for this year.' In a joint press release issued at the summit, both sides welcomed progress on implementing the EU-Ukraine Memorandum of Understanding on energy cooperation.
On the fringes of the summit, Commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner and Ukrainian business minister Boris Tarassiouk initialled agreements to facilitate the granting of visas and readmission of illegal immigrants (see EUROPE 9295).
Tarja Halonen says WTO accession will pave way for free trade negotiations
At the start of an EU-Ukrainian business conference on the fringes of the summit on Thursday, the President of Finland, Tarja Halonen, said the EU was prepared to open negotiations with Ukraine over a free trade agreement once Ukraine has joined the World Trade Organisation (WTO). She said WTO accession was an important step in harmonising the Ukrainian market with EU markets and the new agreement between Ukraine and the EU would necessarily include clauses on a free trade zone. Speaking later at a joint conference, Ukraine's leader, President Viktor Yushchenko, promised to do all in his power to ensure Ukraine joins the WTO in the near future and would be examining with the government and parliament necessary changes in the law required for WTO membership. Yushchenko said he hoped the future agreement with the EU would foresee Ukraine joining the EU in the future. Halonen commented that the main aim of the new agreement would be to boost cooperation between the EU and Ukraine, fostering democracy and the development of a market economy in the erstwhile USSR republic. Mentioning energy as an important area of cooperation, the Finnish President spelled out the EU's expectations that EU standards are respected for investment and security of supply of hydrocarbons. (hb/eh)