Free trade with EU, Customs Union to increase Kyiv's geopolitical role in world, says minister

11:05, 27.08.2013 1 min read

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Leonid Kozhara believes that the existence of free trade areas between Ukraine and the EU and between Ukraine and the CIS will significantly increase the country's geopolitical role in the world.

"Following the signing of an association agreement with the EU, Ukraine may become the only country in the world that has trade on the one hand with the greatest economic and political association of the EU, and on the other hand with a huge Eurasian space of the Customs Union countries. This significantly increases the geopolitical and geo-economic role of our state, and lays additional prospects for the development of our cooperation with all countries of the world, including Japan," Kozhara said at a briefing after the talks with his Japanese counterpart Fumio Kishida in Kyiv on Monday.

The minister noted that the European integration remains a priority for Ukraine, but cooperation with the countries of the Customs Union are of strategic importance for Kyiv, because currently this is "trade partner number one."