EU MPs: Former Prime Minister of Ukraine Trial Will not Affect the EU - Ukraine Association Agreement

KYIV, Ukraine, September 2, 2011 /PRNewswire/ --

Members of the Committee on International Trade INTA of the European Parliament agreed that the Association Agreement with Ukraine would not be affected by the lawsuit against the former Prime Minister of Ukraine Yulia Tymoshenko. This opinion was voiced by the European MP Pawel Zalewski at the meeting of the Committee held yesterday, reports Kommersant Ukraine. The EU MPs believe the agreement needs to be finalized as soon as possible to push Ukraine's democratic development further.

"Considering the democracy issue in Ukraine, the best decision would be to rapidly sign the agreement [Association Agreement - ed.] as the document contains norms that stipulate the adoption of the European standards by Ukraine," said Polish representative in the European parliament Pavel Zalewski at the INTA meeting. Earlier, the European MPs contemplated recommending the European Commission to put the negotiations on hold while the former Ukrainian Prime Minister Yuliya Tymoshenko is under arrest.

Zalewski is not the only one sharing that opinion. "Although the situation with Tymoshenko is not a matter of negotiations, we agree that signing the Association Agreement will benefit Ukraine in its current situation," said the Head of Unit at the Directorate General of Trade of the European Commission Rupert Schlegelmilch.

As the meeting went on, none of the present EU MPs returned to the question of the possible delay of the Association Agreement negotiations. According to Zalewski, it is highly unlikely that any of the INTA members will suggest the European Parliament anything but the early negotiations completion.

The next round of negotiations between the EU and Ukraine on the Free Trade Agreement - an integral part of the Association Agreement - will take place on September 19-23, 2011. Some progress in the dialogue has already been made. During the 19^th round of negotiations on July 12, 2011 the sides agreed upon a number of issues including justice, freedom, safety, and political dialogue.

Both Ukraine and the EU expressed their intention to sign the Association Agreement by the end of 2011. This spring both parties noted that 90% of Free Trade Agreement positions - integral part of the Association Agreement - had been agreed upon.