Association Agreement is first step toward Ukraine's EU membership - President Poroshenko

11:58, 27.06.2014 1 min read

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has described the Association Agreement as an instrument of preparing Ukraine for its full-fledged membership of the European Union.

"When Ukraine becomes ready to join, it will become a member of the EU," Poroshenko said in Brussels on Friday, ahead of signing the economic provisions of Ukraine's Association Agreement with the EU.

It is crucial for Ukraine to sign this document because Ukraine and Europe have the same values, he said.

"The Association Agreement is an instrument of preparations for our future accession to the EU. The EU is not only an association of individual countries. Rather, the EU is an idea, it is compliance with European standards," the Ukrainian leader said.