For rapprochement with the European Union, Ukraine should solve "series of problems", German Chancellor Angela Merkel announced in Berlin on Wednesday, April 17, after talks with Prime Minister of Estonia Andrus Ansip.
At the same time, she noted that the establishment of closer relations with Ukraine remains a goal of the EU.
Merkel said that the case of ex-Prime Minister Tymoshenko is not the only obstacle to the signing of a ready Association Agreement with the EU. "We are talking in general about the legal system in Ukraine and the issues of human rights and civil liberties," she said. Therefore, signing of the document is currently frozen.
In turn, Prime Minister of Estonia Andrus Ansip said that Ukraine is an important partner of the European Union, thus the association agreement should come into force. At the same time, he agreed that Ukraine has a long way ahead to overcome.
Ansip also called for the abolition of the visa regime for Ukraine, Russia and other countries of Eastern Partnership. However, he added that this may not happen immediately, as Ukraine still has to perform "some very specific criteria".
These criteria include, in particular, the introduction of biometric passports, as well as the cancellation of registration of EU citizens traveling to these countries. "We want the equal approach," the head of the Estonian government said.
