Ukraine wants the trade regime with the EU to be fully abolished in the Association Agreement with the European Union. This was stated by the head of the Ukrainian government Denys Shmyhal at a briefing with the head of EU diplomacy, Josep Borrell.
"We certainly welcome the European Commissionʼs decision to extend until June 2025 the complete abolition of customs duties on Ukrainian products. Together with the Association Agreement, this decision will provide Ukraine with the so-called economic visa-free regime," Shmyhal said.
According to him, Ukraine not only expects quick approval of this initiative by all EU institutions, but also considers it important to enshrine such a completely free trade regime in the Association Agreement itself.
"This is one of the main areas of our work this year in trade relations with the EU. I hope that the relevant negotiations can be announced already during the Association Council," he said.
Shmyhal noted that Ukraine aims to integrate into the internal market of the European Union, but it is clear that too sharp changes in trade flows can cause misunderstandings. "Therefore, our common task is to ensure open and barrier-free trade, which will meet the interests of both producers from Ukraine and the EU," said the prime minister.
- Ukraine intensified cooperation with the European Union in 2014 after the victory of the Revolution of Dignity. In the same year, the Council and the European Parliament simultaneously approved the Association Agreement of Ukraine with the EU. It entered into force in full on September 1, 2017. The strategic course for Ukraineʼs membership in the European Union and NATO has been enshrined in the Constitution since February 2019.
- On February 28, 2022, four days after the start of the full-scale invasion, Ukraine applied to join the European Union under a special procedure. On June 17, the European Commission recommended granting Ukraine the status of a candidate for EU accession, and also put forward a number of conditions that the country must fulfill before the start of negotiations on joining the European Union. On June 23, EU leaders gathered in Brussels for a summit, where they granted Ukraine candidate status.