Foreign minister of Ukraine Leonid Kozhara expects that Ukraine will create a free trade area with the European Union and the Customs Union this year.
"Our position is very simple. We want to have a free trade area with the European Union and the countries of the Customs Union ... Already this year, Ukraine may become the only country in the world, which will have a FTA in the East - with the Customs Union and in the West - with the European Union," Kozhara said, speaking in the Diplomatic Academy of the Russian Foreign Ministry in Moscow.
He stressed that the integration processes occur in many regions of the world, many countries are trying to jointly confront financial-economic crisis.
According to Kozhara, those countries, which do not participate in the integration process, lose struggle in the world markets, so the integration processes are taking place in Europe and in Asia.
"It is important for Ukraine not to fall out of this process," the minister noted.
However, he reminded of the start of negotiations on a free trade area between the U.S. and the EU. On the other hand, the Customs Union is considering an issue of creating FTA with Vietnam and New Zealand.
