Brussels had told Ukraine that further discussions required a "clear commitment (to) sign (but) Work on hold, had no answer," EU Enlargement Commissioner Stefan Fuele said in a tweeted message.
"Ukraine: Words and deeds of President and government regarding #AssocAgreement further and further apart," Fuele said. "Their arguments have no grounds in reality," he added.
Fuele made his comments as at least 200,000 pro-EU demonstrators began another mass rally in Kiev to press Yanukovych to sign the accord.
Yanukovych is under intense pressure to decide whether to sign up with the West or to join a Russian-led Customs Union bringing together several other former Soviet states.
He is set to travel to Moscow on Tuesday to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The European Union has repeatedly made clear that the Association Agreement itself remains on the table but that its terms cannot be renegotiated.
At the same time, it has suggested it could help Kiev in its implementation, especially by working with the International Monetary Fund to get much-needed financial assistance.
Last week, Fuele told visiting Ukraine Deputy Premier Serhiy Arbuzov that once there was a firm commitment from Ukraine to sign the pact, the EU would help prepare a "roadmap" for its implementation.
This would include talks to "examine in depth all issues related to the implementation of the agreement".
- In addition, the EU could "facilitate and continue supporting Ukraine and its endeavour ... to sign an agreement with the IMF," Fuele said.
EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton had said Thursday after talks with Yanukovych that the president told her he would sign the EU pact.
- With Ukraine's economy struggling, Ukraine Prime Minister Mykola Azarov on Wednesday said Kiev would like to secure a 20-billion-euro ($27.5-billion) loan from the EU before signing.
Brussels immediately dismissed the idea of such a loan, saying the EU would not get involved in a bidding war over Ukraine's future.
hurriyetdailynews.com
15/12/13
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ЕС спря работата по споразумението с Украйна...
ReplyDeleteЕвропейският съюз е прекратил работата по споразумението за асоцииране с Украйна, след като не успя да получи "ясен ангажимент" от президента Виктор Янукович, че ще го подпише, предаде BBC. За прекратяването на преговорите съобщи в Twitter и еврокомисарят по разширяването Щефан Фюле.
"Работата е спряна", написа той в социалната мрежа и допълни, че е казал на вицепремиерът Сергей Арбузов, че Украйна трябва да покаже "ясен ангажимент, че ще подпише"
Днес за пореден път протестиращи се събраха в Киев. Около 200 000 проевропейски настроени се събраха на площад „Независимост”, за да изразят несъгласието си с отказа на Янукович да подпише споразумението.
Това е поредната серия от протести в страната, след като през ноември Янукович направи крачка назад от подписването на споразумението.
Протести в неделя се провеждат в близост до мястото, където се състои пък проправителствен митинг. Това предизвика опасения за възможни сблъсъци между двете групи.
Междувременно американският сенатор Джон Маккейн е в Киев, където той се обърна към протестиращите. "Украйна ще направи Европа по-добра и Европа ще направи Украйна по-добра", каза им той.
"Ние сме тук, за да подкрепим вашата справедлива кауза, суверенното право на Украйна да определи собствената си съдба свободно и независимост", каза той.
http://www.dnes.bg/world/2013/12/15/es-spria-rabotata-po-sporazumenieto-s-ukraina.209587
15/12/13
EU Officials Controversial About Future of Ukraine Trade Deal...
ReplyDeleteMOSCOW, December 15 (RIA Novosti) – European officials gave controversial statements about the future of a trade and cooperation agreement with Ukraine on Sunday.
EU enlargement chief Stefan Fuele said on Sunday European Union has put on hold its work with Ukraine on the agreement.
The Ukrainian government’s arguments “have no grounds in reality,” Fuele said on Twitter. The remarks come after Fuele’s talks with Ukraine's first deputy prime minister Serhiy Arbuzov last week in Brussels.
"After that further discussion is conditioned on clear commitment to sign. Work on hold, had no answer," Fuele said.
However, Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt said later in the day that Ukraine was free to sign the agreement at any time.
“The door is wide open for Ukraine to sign association and free trade agreement with EU. It’s ready. Any time,” he said.
Lithuanian Foreign Minister Linas Linkevicius, who visited the rallies in Kyiv on Saturday, said the Ukrainian president will have to offer explanations about his Friday’s statement that the deal was “to the detriment of Ukraine’s national interests.”
“Of course, the EU is always ready [to sign the agreement], as we’ve said many times before,” Linkevicius said. “But, of course, we need explanations. It would be illogical to prepare for the signing of an agreement that, according to one of the parties, damages its national interests.”
Two members of the European parliament, Elmar Brok and Rebecca Harms, told protestors in Kiev on Sunday that parliamentarians have adopted a resolution that confirms Europe’s readiness for closer cooperation with Ukraine.
“Our message to you is very simple: doors to the association with Europe remain open for Ukraine,” said Brok, who chairs the European Parliament’s foreign affairs committee.
Prime Minister Mykola Azarov's spokesman Vitaliy Lukyanenko said the Ukrainian government remains committed to signing the agreement.
Kiev “would take into account only official statements on behalf of the European Union and will respond only to such statements,” Lukyanenko said.
“For today, the official European Union stance remains unchanged: the door to the association with EU remains open,” he said.......http://en.ria.ru/world/20131215/185578246/EU-Suspends-Work-with-Ukraine-on-Trade-Deal--Official.html
15/12/13
Ukraine's concerns over EU association deal may be removed – Ashton ....
DeleteUkraine's concerns over the Association and Free Trade Area Agreement with the European Union may be removed, the EU foreign policy head Catherine Ashton said on Monday. She said she had discussed [with Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych] which short-term concerns had prevented him from signing the deal.
Some of those concerns could be removed through greater EU aid and others – through financial institutions or through the private sector, it’s possible, Ashton told reporters ahead of a meeting of the EU foreign ministers in Brussels.
On Sunday, EU commissioner for enlargement and European neighborhood policy Stefen Fule wrote on his Twitter page that the EU was suspending work on the association agreement with Ukraine after it failed to make its intentions clear.
On Sunday, Vitaliy Lukyanenko, the Ukrainian government’s press secretary, confirmed in an interview that Ukraine was determined to continue the association talks with the EU.
Voice of Russia, RIA
Read more: http://voiceofrussia.com/news/2013_12_16/Ukraines-concerns-over-EU-association-deal-may-be-removed-Ashton-6464/
16/12/13
EU interested in improving relations with Russia and has no plans to provide financial assistance to Ukraine ...
ReplyDeleteThe EU is interested in improving relations with Russia. This was stated by Prime Minister of Finland, Jyrki Katainen before the opening of the second day of the EU summit in Brussels.
The Prime Minister also expressed his views on the situation in Ukraine. “There is no change in the position of the EU. There exists an association agreement. When Kiev is ready, it may sign it”, said Katainen. Replying to the question whether the EU is ready to provide financial assistance to Ukraine, comparable to the Russian, the Finnish Prime Minister said: “No”.
Read more: http://indian.ruvr.ru/news/2013_12_20/EU-interested-in-improving-relations-with-Russia-and-has-no-plans-to-provide-financial-assistance-to-Ukraine-8230/
20/12/13
Le sommet européen laisse la porte ouverte aux Ukrainiens...
ReplyDeleteLes 28 ne cachent pas leur agacement à propos des choix politiques de l'Ukraine. Lors de leur sommet qui s'est achevé ce vendredi midi, les Européens ont rappelé que les Ukrainiens pouvaient toujours signer l'accord d'association avec l'Union, mais ils n'ont pas caché qu'ils perdaient confiance dans la présidence ukrainienne. Le sommet a aussi ébauché une opération européenne en Centrafrique et fait le constat de l'échec d'un renforcement de la lutte contre l'évasion fiscale.
"La porte reste ouverte pour la population de l'Ukraine, mais pas pour son gouvernement", a déclaré la président lituanienne Dalia Grybauskaitė dont le pays assure en ce moment la présidence tournante de l'Union.
Les Européens voient avec dépit comment le président ukrainien Viktor Yanoukovitch fait monter les enjeux entre Europe et Russie pour en retirer le maximum de moyens financiers pour son pays qui traverse une mauvaise passe.
Les Européens ont pris grand soin de répéter que l'Ukraine qui il y a quelques années se voyait privée de gaz russe en plein hiver, ne devait pas choisir entre l'Union et la Russie.
Le président européen Herman Van Rompuy dit aussi que "la porte reste ouverte". "Nous avons constaté la force de la volonté du peuple de rejoindre l'Union. Nous désirons entendre cette voix, mais c'est au gouvernement de décider".
Les pressions russes pour empêcher l'Ukraine de signer l'accord avec l'Union seront au menu du sommet Union- Russie en janvier prochain.............http://www.rtbf.be/info/monde/detail_le-sommet-europeen-laisse-la-porte-ouverte-aux-ukrainiens?id=8162264
21/12/13
Ukraine Seeks Better Terms for EU Association Deal – PM....
ReplyDeleteKIEV, December 21 (RIA Novosti) – Kiev will sign an association agreement with the European Union if favorable terms are offered, Ukraine’s prime minister has said.
“We should get normal favorable terms, and then we will sign it,” Mykola Azarov said in a late-night interview with Ukraine's national broadcaster, Inter TV. He stressed that signing the EU deal now would plunge the country into crisis.
Ukraine stunned Europe last month by announcing that it was giving up pursuit of an association agreement and trade pact with the EU, favoring ties with the Moscow-led Customs Union trade bloc instead.
Kiev reached agreement with Russia this week for a $15-billion loan from Moscow and a more than 30 percent cut in the price of Russian natural gas. The deal helped the country stave off the imminent threat of economic and social collapse, Azarov said.
“We will become stronger, like in 2011 that was a wonderful year for us. We will then conclude our negotiations with the European Union and sign the agreement. The question is only about the time,” Azarov said.
Russia announced that it could draw on its national wealth fund to buy $3 billion in Ukrainian eurobonds by the end of this week, making a swift start to its plans to provide $15 billion worth of credit to its cash-strapped neighbor.
The Ukrainian government will spend the first tranche of the Russian aid package on social benefits and wages, the Ukrainian prime minister said.
Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych said Thursday that his government currently has no answer to how potential negative economic consequences of the free-trade zone agreement with the EU could be reduced to acceptable levels.
http://en.ria.ru/russia/20131221/185797325/Ukraine-Seeks-Better-Terms-for-EU-Association-Deal--PM.html
21/12/13