Arsenii Yatseniuk informs about outcomes of joint work of Gov't members and representatives of European Commission

The Prime Minister of Ukraine Arsenii Yatseniuk has informed about the outcomes of the work of members of Ukraine’s Government and representatives of the European Commission. This was aired at a media conference following the enlarged meeting of the Government’s members and the European Commission delegation members and a meeting between the Head of the Government and the EU Commissioner for Enlargement and European Neighborhood Policy Štefan Füle and EU Commissioner for Financial Programming and Budget Janusz Lewandowski.

He reminded that during today’s enlarged meeting between the Government’s members and the European Commission delegation he had signed the final list of documents necessary to proceed to the second stage of preparation to introducing a free visa regime with Ukraine by the European Union: “We address the Parliament to immediately adopt the laws designed by the Cabinet of Ministers. It will enable Ukrainians to feel all advantages of our cooperation with the European Union, in particular – travel visa-free to the EU member countries”.

Arsenii Yatseniuk informed that the Government members and the representatives of the European Commission had set up several workgroups “and included into the agenda a series of key tasks to ensure bilateral cooperation between Ukraine and the European Union”.

According to him, among the issues discussed was energy. In particular, they discussed which measures would be taken in the direction of diversification of supplies and ensuring energy independence of both the European Union and Ukraine: “It concerns supplies from the EU participating countries. Our estimates suggest it is technically possible to supply 25 billion cubic meters of gas by USD 100 cheaper than equal supplies from Russia”.

Moreover, the Head of Government emphasized that the overall volume of macro-financial assistance for Ukraine rendered by the EU makes up Eur 1,6 billion: “This macro-financial assistance must balance Ukrainian state finance and give an impetus to stabilizing the economy”.

He added the first tranche of the mentioned aid could flow within two months after signing the agreement with the IMF by Ukraine.

Another issue considered was an aviation domain. Arsenii Yatseniuk informed that in the shortest terms possible an agreement on the common aviation area would be signed: “It will give a chance to ensure competition on the aviation market, reduce the price of tickets, improve this market and give an opportunity to certify the Ukrainian planes”.  

Regarding one more cooperation area between Ukraine and the EU, the trade, the Head of Government reminded that the EU had opened the market one-way: “Hence our agrarian and industrial companies must be ready already now to supply goods to the European market. It will bring approximately Eur 500 million additionally by November 1”.

Another question discussed was cooperation in the direction of anti-corruption activity – “starting from setting up in Kyiv the Anti-corruption bureau and ending with deregulation and cutting the responsibilities of the officials which will lead to reducing corruption: “This question was not just discussed, our European partners will provide us with concrete technical assistance”.

The Prime Minister informed that the following meeting of the Government of Ukraine and the representatives of the European Commission in such format would take place in Brussels.