Government breaks off Economic Cooperation Program between Ukraine and the Russian Federation

March 21, the Government supported the proposal of the Ministry of Economic Development and Trade on the termination of the Program of Economic Cooperation between Ukraine and the Russian Federation for 2011-2020.

By suspending the effect of the Program the Government of Ukraine prolongs a series of measures to counteract the aggressive policy of the Russian Federation in the general political context and in the trade and economic sphere in particular. The actions systematically taken by Russia against Ukraine over the past few years directly contradict the goals stated in the Program for the development of cooperation between the countries.

Beginning from the end of 2015, the RF consistently carries out aggression against Ukraine hampering trade and transit activities:

• unilaterally terminated of the Free Trade Agreement within the CIS framework for Ukraine, that has led to the fact that products originating in Ukraine are levied import duties at the rates of the Common Customs Tariff applied to members of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU);

• imposed a ban on imports for certain types of agricultural products, raw materials and foodstuffs, including those of Ukrainian origin;

• actually blocks transit of Ukrainian goods via the territory of the Russian Federation.

The necessity to suspend the Program of Economic Cooperation was supported at a meeting on December 28, 2017 by members of the Working Group on Monitoring Trade Relations with the Russian Federation established within the Council for International Trade.