2011 to be a Decisive Year for EU-Ukraine Relations

KYIV, Ukraine, March 17, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- 2011 will be a crucial year for the relations between Ukraine and the EU, with important goals to accomplish, including the completion of negotiations on the EU-Ukraine Association Agreement and a free trade zone establishment, said Miroslav Lajcak, the Managing Director for Russia, Eastern Neighborhood and the Western Balkans in the EU's External Action Service.

During a meeting of the EU-Ukraine Parliamentary Cooperation Committee in Brussels on March 15, Lajcak noted that 2011 is expected to be full of opportunities with regards to EU-Ukraine relations. The EU's official also voiced Brussels' hope to achieve notable progress in negotiations on an action plan clearly outlining preconditions regarding a Ukraine-EU visa-free regime.

In 2011, Ukraine will celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Independence Declaration, which will also bring international attention to the country's development and progress.

The political and economic development in Ukraine over the past year shows that the current government continues to pursue the common EU-Ukraine goals, namely signing a political association agreement and economic integration within the EU, Lajcak said.

Lajcak also noted that successful implementation of the crucial Ukraine anti-corruption, constitutional, electoral and legislative reforms is an important factor for achieving the political association agreement with the EU.

The next round of negotiations on the Association Agreement between Ukraine and the EU, which were launched back in 2007, will take place on April 5, 2011 in Brussels, Belgium. The agreement is expected to be signed in 2011.