News

On 30 March, Lithuanian Minister of Foreign Affairs Audronius Ažubalis congratulated Ukraine on initialling the text of the Association Agreement after five years of negotiations with the European Union, including an agreement on a deep and comprehensive free trade area.

According to the Minister, for the society of Ukraine this is a good sign, which shows that the European Union values Ukraine’s chosen path of European integration, and proves once again that Ukraine is an integral part of Europe.

“The Association Agreement is the most powerful tool we have when it comes to bringing  Ukraine closer to the democratic values of Europe and giving a strong impetus  for reform in the country”, Ažubalis says.

At the EU-Ukraine summit on 19 December 2011 in Kyiv, the leaders of the European Union and Ukraine announced that they had finalized negotiations on an Association Agreement, which had lasted since 2007. The Association Agreement is not only a significant political achievement, but it also foresees the removal of trade barriers and the harmonization of Ukrainian legislation with the EU law. It will also contribute to advancing economic and trade relations of the European Union, also Lithuania and Ukraine’s.

“I hope that the agreement will be signed in the near future, because Lithuania has put a lot of effort into reaching the agreement. At the same time, we will continue to closely monitor the human rights situation in Ukraine”, the Minister said.