Signing of Association Agreement with EU depends on certain steps being taken by Ukraine, says diplomat
UK Ambassador to Ukraine Simon Smith has said he thinks that today there is no guarantee that Ukraine will sign the Association Agreement with the European Union at the Eastern Partnership Summit in November 2013, as everything depends on certain steps yet to be taken by Ukraine.
"I would not say that the signing is absolutely impossible, but it is not guaranteed and much will depend on the way in which Ukraine implements reforms," the diplomat said in an interview with Interfax-Ukraine on Wednesday.
He added that there is a chance to sign the Association Agreement this year if Kyiv takes certain steps to solve its problems, and if progress is seen in the issues on the agenda of relations between Ukraine and the EU.
"If we notice certain progress in the issues on the agenda this year, I think then it is possible. If not, I am afraid the process will be delayed," Smith said.
The ambassador also mentioned a resolution of the EU Council clearly recommending Ukraine to reform some spheres.
As reported, Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych earlier stated that Ukraine intends to sign the Association Agreement with the EU at the Eastern Partnership Summit in Vilnius due in November 2013.
The EU also did not rule out such a possibility, but pointed Kyiv at the necessity to implement some reforms. In particular, it recommended Ukraine to eliminate problems that emerged during the recent parliamentary elections, improve the election legislation, settle problems with selective justice, and implement reforms on the association agenda.
The EU-Ukraine Association Agreement was initialed by the sides in 2012. So far technical checking of the draft agreement has been completed and the sides are preparing official translations of the document into Ukrainian and the languages of all EU Member States, following which the document is to be signed and ratified.