EU Signs Association Agreements with Georgia, Moldova, Ukraine
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – The European Union (EU) signed the Association Agreements with Ukraine, Georgia and Moldova on Friday with the aim of deepening political and economic ties with the three former Soviet republics.
Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko said at the ceremony in Brussels that Ukraine will use the opportunity to "modernize his country."
The deal is focused on supporting Ukraine in core reforms, economic recovery and growth, governance and sector cooperation, such as energy, transport and environment protection, the European Council said in a statement.
Poroshenko will discuss the violence in eastern Ukraine with European Council President Herman Van Rompuy and European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso on the sidelines of an EU summit later on Friday, Xinhua reported.
Negotiations of this ambitious EU-Ukraine agreement were launched in March 2007. As a key part of the deal, the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area (DCFTA) talks started in February 2008 following Ukraine's accession to the WTO.
Russia on Friday warned of "grave consequences" for the agreement.