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Ukrainian Prime Minister Mykola Azarov said Sunday his country had secured Moscow’s pledge to review a gas contract Kiev believes to be unfavorable.
“We have been persistently trying to persuade the Russian Federation to review the contract,” Azarov told Ukrainian TV channel ICTV.
“Now, generally speaking, there is such a pledge, and we hope we will implement it during the talks,” he said.
Earlier, Ukraine said it could give up imports of Russian gas unless the gas contract negotiated in 2009 by then-Russian and Ukrainian premiers Vladimir Putin and Yulia Tymoshenko was reviewed. Russia said unilateral attempts to review the contract would entail legal consequences.
The Ukrainian government announced November 21 it was halting plans to sign long-discussed trade and association deals with the EU, because of the damage it would do to trade with Russia. It said it would seek closer cooperation with Russia and the Moscow-led Customs Union that also comprises Belarus and Kazakhstan.
The EU blamed unprecedented Russian pressure on Kiev for the Ukrainian decision to suspend the deals, but Moscow denied any strong-arm tactics. Earlier this year, Moscow suspended imports of some Ukrainian goods and warned that preferential trade agreements with Ukraine would end if it signed the EU deals.
Jailed Ukrainian opposition leader Tymoshenko called on the government Friday to review its decision to suspend the EU deal. Tymoshenko was in 2011 sentenced to seven years in prison for abusing of her power while serving as prime minister by overseeing the gas contract with Russia determined to be financially unfavorable for Ukraine. She insists the charges were politically motivated.
Ukraine Hopes Russia Reviews Gas Contract – PM Azarov > Strategic-Culture.org - Strategic Culture Foundation
Ukraine FM: Kiev, EU not prepared to sign association agreement now
KIEV, November 25. /ITAR-TASS/. Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovich plans to go for an EU Eastern Partnership summit in Vilnius on November 28-29, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Leonid Kozhara told reporters on Monday.
“The Ukrainian president intends to visit the EU Eastern Partnership summit in Vilnius,” the minister stated. Kiev “does not give up the plans for European integration,” Kozhara noted. “Ukraine does not refuse to sign an association agreement. We are speaking about the suspension of the signing process and according to the current situation on November 25 both sides - Ukraine and the EU - are not prepared for this act,” he noted.
The foreign minister confirmed that his ministry had supported the governmental resolution to suspend the preparation to the signing of an association agreement with the European Union. “The Foreign Ministry has supported the decision of the government,” Kozhara, who participated in a decisive government meeting, said. “However, there was acting Foreign Minister Demchenko and he agreed with this,” the minister noted.
The Ukraine-EU association agreement was planned to sign at the EU Eastern Partnership in Vilnius on November 28-29. However, the Ukrainian government decided to stop the preparation to the signing of an association agreement on November 21.
ITAR-TASS: World - Ukraine FM: Kiev, EU not prepared to sign association agreement now
“We have been persistently trying to persuade the Russian Federation to review the contract,” Azarov told Ukrainian TV channel ICTV.
“Now, generally speaking, there is such a pledge, and we hope we will implement it during the talks,” he said.
Earlier, Ukraine said it could give up imports of Russian gas unless the gas contract negotiated in 2009 by then-Russian and Ukrainian premiers Vladimir Putin and Yulia Tymoshenko was reviewed. Russia said unilateral attempts to review the contract would entail legal consequences.
The Ukrainian government announced November 21 it was halting plans to sign long-discussed trade and association deals with the EU, because of the damage it would do to trade with Russia. It said it would seek closer cooperation with Russia and the Moscow-led Customs Union that also comprises Belarus and Kazakhstan.
The EU blamed unprecedented Russian pressure on Kiev for the Ukrainian decision to suspend the deals, but Moscow denied any strong-arm tactics. Earlier this year, Moscow suspended imports of some Ukrainian goods and warned that preferential trade agreements with Ukraine would end if it signed the EU deals.
Jailed Ukrainian opposition leader Tymoshenko called on the government Friday to review its decision to suspend the EU deal. Tymoshenko was in 2011 sentenced to seven years in prison for abusing of her power while serving as prime minister by overseeing the gas contract with Russia determined to be financially unfavorable for Ukraine. She insists the charges were politically motivated.
Ukraine Hopes Russia Reviews Gas Contract – PM Azarov > Strategic-Culture.org - Strategic Culture Foundation
Ukraine FM: Kiev, EU not prepared to sign association agreement now
KIEV, November 25. /ITAR-TASS/. Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovich plans to go for an EU Eastern Partnership summit in Vilnius on November 28-29, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Leonid Kozhara told reporters on Monday.
“The Ukrainian president intends to visit the EU Eastern Partnership summit in Vilnius,” the minister stated. Kiev “does not give up the plans for European integration,” Kozhara noted. “Ukraine does not refuse to sign an association agreement. We are speaking about the suspension of the signing process and according to the current situation on November 25 both sides - Ukraine and the EU - are not prepared for this act,” he noted.
The foreign minister confirmed that his ministry had supported the governmental resolution to suspend the preparation to the signing of an association agreement with the European Union. “The Foreign Ministry has supported the decision of the government,” Kozhara, who participated in a decisive government meeting, said. “However, there was acting Foreign Minister Demchenko and he agreed with this,” the minister noted.
The Ukraine-EU association agreement was planned to sign at the EU Eastern Partnership in Vilnius on November 28-29. However, the Ukrainian government decided to stop the preparation to the signing of an association agreement on November 21.
ITAR-TASS: World - Ukraine FM: Kiev, EU not prepared to sign association agreement now
