President: Ukraine's benchmark is Association Agreement with EU

19.07.2021 16:15

Ukrinform

Ukraine's immediate goals in cooperation with the European Union are to start implementing the Common Aviation Area Agreement, further prepare for signing the Agreement on Conformity Assessment and Acceptance of Industrial Products, and sum up the first results of the Association Agreement renewal.

"Our benchmark is the Association Agreement with the EU. Its implementation will bring Ukraine closer to the criteria for EU membership. But today we already have an ambitious agenda with the European Union. The immediate goals are the launch of the Common Aviation Area Agreement implementation, next stage of preparation for industrial visa-free regime [signing Agreement on Conformity Assessment and Acceptance of Industrial Products], and the first results of the Association Agreement renewal,” President Volodymyr Zelensky said at the Batumi International Conference, streamed live on the President’s Office Facebook page.

As reported, President Volodymyr Zelensky makes a working visit to Georgia on Monday.

Earlier, Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal expressed hope that the European Common Aviation Area Agreement would be signed with Ukraine this autumn.

On July 6, President Volodymyr Zelensky and European Council President Charles Michel discussed the priorities of bilateral cooperation in the context of preparations for the 23rd Ukraine-EU Summit.

The previous, 22nd Ukraine-EU Summit took place on October 6, 2020, in Brussels, and the next summit is scheduled for October 12, 2021, in Kyiv.

Speaking at the international Ukraine Reform Conference in Vilnius on July 6-7, Zelensky also said that he expected the next Ukraine-EU Summit to sum up the first results of negotiations on renewing the tariff part of the Association Agreement.