Ukrainian Minister of Foreign Affairs Leonid Kozhara, Acting Head of the OSCE, on Oct. 27 attended the 37th meeting of the European Trilateral Commission, an international organization created in 1973 to find solutions to global problems, the Information-Analytical Bulletin of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine informs.
The event, which was held in Krakow, Poland, was dedicated to the situation in the European Union and the prospects for its further development. A separate panel discussed relations between Ukraine and the EU, as well as the prospects of the signing the EU Association Agreement during the EU’s Eastern Partnership in Vilnius, Lithuania.
Kozhara briefed foreign counterparts — from North America, Western Europe and Asia — about the efforts being made by Ukraine to meet its commitments to the European Union, preparations for the signing of the EU Association Agreement, and the progress made by Ukraine.
Kozhara expressed confidence that further EU integration will contribute to the further success of political, economic, legal and social reforms initiated by the government. Kozhara also drew attention to the positive outlook for the European processes associated with the deepening of cooperation between Kyiv and Brussels, focusing on the shared responsibility of both sides for the signing of the EU Association Agreement.
All branches of power in Ukraine are working smoothly to implement the EC agreed criteria for signing the EU Association Agreement, which is expected in late November 2013. The major political forces are pooling resources to ensure that national legislation fully complies with the requirements.
This approach also helps strengthen cooperation between Ukraine and the European Union in terms of bilateral plans for visa liberalization.
Closer EU-Ukraine ties will provide a flow of investment from the EU countries and will encourage growth of industrial production and capacity development of strategically important sectors of the Ukrainian economy, including industry, agriculture and engineering.
According to the State Statistics Committee, in 2012 investmentsfrom the EU to the Ukrainian economy amounted to 43 billion USD, which accounts for 78.9% of total investments in Ukraine.
