Kyiv hopes to initial Association Agreement with EU during summit in December, says Foreign Ministry

The Foreign Ministry of Ukraine welcomes the adoption of the recommendations of the European Parliament (EP) to the Council of the European Union, European Commission and the European External Action Service on the Association Agreement between Ukraine and the EU.

"We appreciate the support of the EP to the European integration aspirations of our state and that the EP admitted that Ukraine is a European country, which, under Article 49 of the Treaty on European Union, can apply for membership of the EU. We hope that this encouraging signal will be considered in other institutions of the EU and by the EU member states," reads a statement of the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry, which was distributed by the ministry's information policy department on Thursday.

"Within this context the Foreign Ministry of Ukraine completely shares the position of the European Parliament regarding the importance of initialing of this agreement as soon as possible. We expect that a decision on the completion of the negotiations at the top level will be formalized during the Ukraine-EU summit on in Kyiv on December 19, 2011," reads the document.

The Foreign Ministry also supported the EP's suggestion to sign the Association Agreement within H1, 2012 and submit to the EP and national parliaments of the EU member states all documents connected with the agreement ratification process by the end of 2012.

"We think that this will support the dynamics of the preparation of the Agreement and allow the start of its practical implementation as soon as possible," reads the statement.

In addition, the Foreign Ministry welcomed the EP's recommendation concerning a visa-free regime between Ukraine and the EU, as well as positive consequences of the conclusion of the Association Agreement for strengthening trade and economic relations and investment contracts.

"We expect that the support of the EP will turn into a specific result on the way towards the free travel of Ukrainian citizens to EU countries and the gradual integration of Ukraine in the domestic market of the EU," the document stressed.

The ministry also said that "Ukraine understands the EP's attention to the process of the implementation of political and social-economic reforms, strengthening democracy and basic freedoms, and securing of supremacy of law in our state."

"In this context, the implementation of the Association Agreement with the EU will contribute to achieving development priorities in Ukraine as a European state, which is striving to meet the requirements for future EU membership," the Foreign Ministry stated.