Ukraine’s EU Bid Dominates Estonian Premier’s Visit

Estonia’s support for Ukraine’s European aspirations was the main theme of Estonian Prime Minister Andrus Ansip’s visit to Kiev on 16 January.

Cooperation between Ukraine and Estonia in the area of Euro- Atlantic integration and multilateral regional cooperation were in focus during Ansip’s meeting with Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko, the Interfax-Ukraine news agency reported at 1414 gmt on 16 January. Yushchenko confirmed that Ukraine’s foreign policy remains unchanged and thanked Estonia for supporting his country’s European aspirations, the agency said.

The Estonian prime minister urged Ukraine to be more proactive on the way to European integration, the UNIAN news agency said at 1300 gmt.

“A strong wish to join the European Union is a very important component. The EU creates a comfortable atmosphere, but the whole work (in order to join the union) should be completed prior to this”, the Estonian prime minister said at a meeting with his Ukrainian counterpart Viktor Yanukovych in Kiev today.

The agency quoted Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych as saying that Ukraine “has a strong desire to implement economic reforms or any reforms that would advance Ukraine closer to EU standards”. He added that it is too soon to set a date for Ukraine’s entry to the EU and that “everything will depend on Ukraine itself”.

The Ukrainian and Estonian prime ministers also signed an intergovernmental agreement on economic, industrial and scientific cooperation, Interfax-Ukraine said in a separate report at 1235 gmt. The agreement defines cooperation between Ukraine and Estonia in the energy sector as a priority area.

The issue of Ukraine’s European integration was also raised at Ansip’s meeting with Ukrainian parliamentary speaker Oleksandr Moroz, Interfax-Ukraine said at 1014 gmt in another report. Moroz confirmed that his country’s European choice “has no alternative”. In his view, the cabinet’s and parliament’s recent steps only attest to this, the agency said.

Sources:

Interfax-Ukraine news agency, Kiev, in Russian 1414 gmt 16 Jan 07

Interfax-Ukraine news agency, Kiev, in Russian 1235 gmt 16 Jan 07

Interfax-Ukraine news agency, Kiev, in Russian 1014 gmt 16 Jan 07

UNIAN news agency, Kiev, in Ukrainian 1300 gmt 16 Jan 07

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