Azarov insists on EU-Russia-Ukraine talks

During a meeting with ambassadors of the EU member states, the United States and Canada, Prime Minister Mykola Azarov said that the Ukrainian Government insists on trilateral talks between the European Union, Ukraine and Russia to address economic issues, the Information-Analytical Bulletin of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine informs.

Azarov also said that on Monday President Viktor Yanukovych informed the European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso about issues that affected the suspension of preparation for the signing of the EU Association Agreement.

The parties agreed that the government commission headed by First Deputy Prime Minister Serhiy Arbuzov would go to Brussels in the near future to continue discussions of problematic issues.

Also, according to him, Ukraine intends to invite the European Union to agree on a "roadmap" of cooperation and assistance for Ukraine in economic matters.

Azarov also said that a meeting between the presidents of Ukraine, Belarus and Russia took place in late October, where the Ukrainian side was informed that if Ukraine signs the EU Association Agreement Ukraine, it will lose the chance to become part of the CIS Free Trade Zone. Thereafter Ukraine invited the Russian Federation to hold bilateral negotiations to resolve all the issues, which Russia rejected. But Yanukovych insisted on the need for a format like that, and after the last meeting of the Ukrainian and Russian Presidents, Russia has agreed to hold trilateral talks between the EU, Ukraine and Russia.