Kiev Willing to Consult Moscow on Implementation of EU-Ukraine Association Agreement

Ukraine is ready to hold consultations with Russia on the implementation of the economic part of the EU-Ukraine Association Agreement, which Kiev intends to sign on June 27, Ukraine's Foreign Minister Pavlo Klimkin told the press on Monday.

"The impact of implementing the agreement, including on our economic relations with the Russian Federation, will be clearly positive. We are ready, if there are concerns, we are ready to continue to conduct effective consultations.
Of course, not on the content of the agreement, but we are ready to conduct effective consultations on the implementation of the agreement, and I see the possibility of finding implementation solutions very quickly," Klimkin said.

• Moscow has repeatedly expressed concern about Kiev's intention to sign the economic part of the Association Agreement with the EU, as it could lead to an uncontrolled influx of goods, forcing Russia to protect its market.

The economic part of the Association Agreement is to be signed on June 27. Thus, trilateral consultations between Russia, Ukraine and the European Commission would only be possible after the agreement has been signed. Russian Deputy Minister of Economic Development Alexei Likhachev earlier told RIA Novosti, that in this case the negotiations would merely be an exchange of opinions, as it would not be possible to change anything.

Russian President Vladimir Putin and European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso earlier agreed to hold trilateral consultations on the Association Agreement between Russia, the EU and Ukraine at the expert and ministerial levels. The Russian side, according to Likhachev, has offered to schedule the meeting before the document is signed, so that the parties can do more than simply exchanging views, and evaluate and prevent the risks the agreement implies for the Ukrainian economy.
KIEV, June 23 (RIA Novosti)
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