A. Yatseniuk informs about results of extraordinary summit of the EU Heads of State and Governments with participation of Ukraine

On Friday, March 7, the Head of Government informed the results of the negotiations with the EU in details.

Arsenii Yatseniuk underlined during the Summit the EU participating countries had unilaterally approved a package of economic and financial assistance for Ukraine: “In this package the overall sum of financial economic aid makes up 15 billion dollars. In the first place it concerns macro-financial assistance which Ukraine must receive in the shortest terms possible. This is 1.6 billion euro or 2 billion dollars. It is the macro-financial assistance which will allow for Ukraine to carry out reforms and stabilize the economic situation”.

He informed that a separate point of this package was considerable investments into Ukraine’s economy. Thus, the European Investment Bank and European Bank for Reconstruction and Development suggests to invest into Ukraine USD 8 billion: “These are the tools we can direct to set up new enterprises and new workplaces, upgrade Ukraine’s economy and increase its competitiveness”.  

The second decision adopted yesterday with the European partners deals with unilateral implementation by the EU countries the Free Trade Area Agreement: “Yesterday the EU participating states declared they would open the European market for Ukrainian goods and producers on a unilateral basis”.

According to Arsenii Yatseniuk, by expert estimates in the first year after the decision has been approved the Ukraine’s economy will receive additional funds amounting USD 400 million at least: “It is predicted growth of export in grain, agricultural goods, confectionery”.

“Europe has said the following: we are opening the European market for you, come with your goods, we have adopted this decision in one-way direction,” he added.

Arsenii Yatseniuk explains, regarding opening of Ukrainian market for European goods, presently additional consultations are being held in order to remove any speculations that it can allegedly affect adversely the Ukraine’s economy: “A respective decision will be adopted after the consultations”.

“The east must stay calm – everything going on in the direction of bilateral cooperation between Ukraine and Russia must be continued. There are no reasons for Russia to apply trade barriers to Ukrainian goods, there haven’t been and don’t have to be,” the Premier stressed.

Arsenii Yatseniuk noted that the day before the most significant decision expected by the whole country had been approved – the one regarding signing the political part of the Agreement between Ukraine and the EU: “Exceptionally technical consultations concerning the date of signing are being held”.

“The people went to maidan with this aim. And with this aim Ukrainians were fighting for their freedom and European future,” he noted.

Arsenii Yatseniuk reminded that the previous day Federal Chancellor of Germany Angela Merkel, during the bilateral meeting with him, had announced about the shortest terms possible to sign this Agreement, “just several weeks”.

According to Arsenii Yatseniuk, “there is a decision on support of future actions directed to abolishing visas between Ukraine and the EU”, so the Head of the Government informed he would give commissions to the Government’s members to immediately fulfill the actions plan on free-visa regime, “as we are capable to remove all visa barriers for Ukrainian citizens”.