Ukraine expects sincere talk with EU during Helsinki Summit

During the Ukraine - EU Summit, which is supposed to start in Helsinki on October 27, Kyiv expects to have a sincere talk about relations between Ukraine and the EU, especially in the light of expiring the Partnership and Cooperation Agreement, Ukraine's Representative to the EU, Ambassador Roman Shpek told Ukrainian journalists in Brussels, "Cabinet's press office" reported.

"There are internal debates about the new agreement parameters in Ukraine and the European Union has launched consultations as for the European Commission's mandate for negotiations with Ukraine. It is highly important for Ukraine to discuss this issue at the highest level, articulate our arguments and vision of the new treaty. We understand the situation in the EU, attitudes of EU citizens toward new enlargement and we are aware of the reformation process in the Ukrainian society. Taking into consideration this real situation, we'd like to sincerely speak about the format of new relations," the Ukrainian diplomat said.

The Ukrainian Ambassador confirmed Ukraine's desire to include a provision on likelihood of future membership in the EU into the agreement. "It is important that the new agreement contains the perspective of Ukraine's membership in the EU in any form. In which words it will be done, this is the experts' business," Mr Shpek said.

According to him, agreements on readmission and liberalization of the visa regime for Ukraine will be initialed during the Helsinki Summit. Further technical procedures to prepare the agreements for signing might take 16 to 18 months, but initialing the agreements would mean formal completion of negotiations.

As Roman Shpek told journalists, Ukraine and the EU have managed to reach a compromise on the readmission agreement. On the one hand, the European Union has assumed obligations to increase its aid to Ukraine in the development of transborder and customs infrastructure. Ukraine, in its turn, accepted a proposal, as a compromise, on a two-year transition period for readmission of citizens of third countries or persons without citizenship.