Ukraine makes progress on all the requirements for signing EU Association Agreement
This was announced by Ukraine’s representative to the EU Kostiantyn Ieliseiev in an interview with "Kommersant-Ukraine".
"I can say in all responsibility that the Ukrainian side has made progress on all 11 criteria of the so-called Füle list, and as of today we have very good chances to sign the agreement", Ieliseiev said.
He said that criticism of the Ukrainian government is based on a different methodology for the assessment of these efforts. "Note that the EU says we must achieve significant progress, but does not require from us absolute performance of the criteria. In Europe, everyone understands that fundamental reforms mentioned in the December findings of the European Council, would be impossible to implement in such a short period," said Ieliseiev.
The diplomat is optimistic about the possibility of signing the EU and Ukraine in Vilnius Association Agreement (AA): "I was, am and will be an optimist. Even in the most difficult - in the context of prospects for signing – days, Ukraine’s Mission to the EU and myself personally worked hard to the Association Agreement was signed. But of course, if we compare the current situation with what we had several months ago, and even more so with December last year, the difference is striking. There are positive trends; we are achieving progress on the criteria set out in Council Conclusions of 10 December 2012".
He added that an additional reason for optimism is "that European integration drive, which has appeared recently in the society and in the Verkhovna Rada, where all efforts are consolidated to support the AA".
At the same time Ieliseiev pointed out that so far there are no solid guarantees of signing AA. "Guaranteed signing will only be when the parties sit down at the table and take their pens. Then I will recognize that as one hundred percent certainty. It is well understood in Kyiv. I think it would now be irresponsible to say that we already have a guarantee of signing AA at the Vilnius summit", said the representative of Ukraine to the EU.
