Ukraine is ready to continue meeting with Russia regarding Ukraine and the EU, however, would no longer defer the start date of its work, said Prime Minister of Ukraine Arseniy Yatsenyuk at a press conference following the meeting of the Association Council between Ukraine and the EU, held on the First day of the week.

"Our meeting took place just before the introduction of the Treaty on the free trade area, and since 1 January (2016 - ed.) this contract goes into effect. We had 13 different technical consultations with Russia regarding the introduction of a free trade zone, on those issues that were in Russia, We are ready to answer any questions, but our answer is clear and understandable: the contract will be effective from 1 July, Ukraine it will perform, and that the agreement is in the interests of the EU and Ukraine ", - he said.

"the Association agreement for Ukraine is a clear plan of reforms, which Ukraine holds and what Ukraine will hold on, is the reform in the fight against illegal activities of officials, reform of the justice system, reform the public Finance system, public sector reform, reform of Ukraine's energy sector. We went through all the problems that lie at the basis of our agreement about the unity and advised our European partners about what is done by the Ukrainian side and what's the plan for 2016 ", - said Yatsenyuk.

Ukraine and the EU at the end of 2014 has postponed the entry into force of the FTA agreement to provide for consultations with the Russian side. The Ukrainian authorities many times stated that I don't want to postpone the entry into force of the FTA with the EU, despite.

Russia, which along with Ukraine enters the free trade zone of the CIS, fears of an influx after January 1, duty free items from the EU through Ukrainian territory, which wants to impose to Kiev customs duties. Also from 1 January Russia plans to introduce Ukraine to the food embargo. Kiev and the EU try to come to a compromise with the Russian Federation, the parties shall hold expert meetings on this issue, however they until did not bring concrete results.

The next Ministerial meeting on this issue took place on 1 December, however, the parties were unable to come to a common opinion. 1st Deputy head of the Mayor of the Russian Federation Alexey Likhachev said on the last working day of the week that the next meeting of experts of the Russian Federation, Ukraine and the EU held in Brussels on December 8-9. Along with this, according to him, the conclusion about holding a Ministerial meeting has not yet been made. Also before the First day of the week Ukraine and the EU in General, the statement confirmed the readiness to continue trilateral Ministerial dialogue with Russia on the issue of FTA.

sections: Politics