Russians offered us to join restrictions on trade already introduced by Russia, including those against the European Union

Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Pavlo Klimkin

Cecilia Malmström, Member of the EC in charge of Trade, Péter Balás, Head of the Support Group for Ukraine and Alexey Ulyukaev, Russian Minister for Economic Development. Credits: EC.

Trilateral Talks on the Implementation of the EU-Ukraine Association Agreement

In the framework of the trilateral talks and on the basis of the Joint Ministerial Statement of 12 September 2014 and taking into account the 12 February 2015 Declaration in support of the "Package of Measures for the Implementation of the Minsk Agreements", the EU Trade Commissioner Malmström, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Klimkin and Minister of Economic Development of the Russian Federation Ulyukayev met yesterday in Brussels for trilateral talks on the implementation of the EU-Ukraine Association Agreement/Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area (DCFTA), which will be provisionally applied as of 1 January 2016.

The consultation process at ministerial level was launched on July 11, 2014. Up to now 13 trilateral meetings, including 4 at ministerial level, have taken place to achieve practical solutions to concerns raised by the Russian Federation with regard to the implementation of the DCFTA between Ukraine and the EU. The ministerial level meetings have provided detailed guidance to the work of experts on the areas related to the implementation of the DCFTA.

The participants reiterated that trade liberalisation, in line with World Trade Organisation (WTO) principles and rules, would contribute to economic growth. Thus, it is understood that any practical solutions have to respect the relevant WTO provisions.

Participants identified a number of potential practical solutions and are ready to continue talks at ministerial and expert levels.

The position of the European Commission and Ukraine on the one hand and that of Russia on the other saw no changes on the introduction of Ukraine-EU Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area on January 1, 2016, according to Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Pavlo Klimkin, UNIAN reported.

"Today Russia presented the old and the new proposals at the same time of their, in fact, well-known document," Klimkin said after the tripartite ministerial consultations held.

"Thus, as a result of these proposals, we remained on the same positions. We will continue to coordinate our position with our friends and partners from the EU, and EU member states. In the near future the expert consultations will be held. Let's see if the Russian side is ready to take into consideration our arguments and the arguments of the European side," said Ukraine’s top diplomat.

According to the Europeiska Pravda, Klimkin elaborated on the requirements of the Russian Federation regarding introduction of trade restrictions by Ukraine against the EU.

"For example, the Russians offered us to join restrictions on trade already introduced by Russia, including those against the European Union. That is, the Russians propose that we, conditionally, launch free trade with the EU, but at the same time join the bans in respect of certain EU member states," said the minister.

Also in the list of requirements is the following: “Introduction of European standards in Ukraine shall be delayed for a long period time."

As UNIAN reported earlier, the European Commission did not rule out that the latest consultations between Ukraine, Russia and the EC regarding Moscow’s concerns on the introduction of DCFTA from January 1, 2016, will see no result.

The EU and Ukraine did not intend to postpone the introduction of DCFTA, which will take effect from January 1, 2016, and make any changes to the text of the Association Agreement.