Between two blocks: Street scene from the eastern Ukrainian city of Luhansk
The European Union wants to postpone the planned implementation of a proposed free trade agreement with Ukraine by 15 months. The treaty would enter into force until the end of 2015, EU Trade Commissioner Karel de Gucht said on Friday after talks with Ukrainian and Russian Ministers. The EU reacted to Russia’s criticism of the Free Trade Agreement.
According to de Gucht, the Ukrainian economy is expected to benefit up to the implementation of the Free Trade Agreement of an expansion of preferential tariffs on Ukrainian goods. These are based on the Association Agreement between EU and Kiev, to be ratified according to the Ukrainian leaders Petro Poroshenko on Tuesday. Precisely that association agreement is rejected by Moscow because Russia sees itself forced out of the major Ukrainian export market. With the postponement of the free trade agreement, the EU wants to go to Russia and use the time for further negotiations. The three-party talks on trade were part of a “comprehensive peace process in Ukraine,” said De Gucht.
The annexation of the Crimean peninsula by Russia and the rebellion of pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine began after former President Viktor Yanukovych had been overthrown and a pro-Western government in Kiev took over. Since then Kiev argues with Moscow also on the supply of Russian gas, for which the Russian gas company Gazprom demanded more money. Since June no Russian gas flows more direct route to the Ukraine.
Energy Minister Jurii Prodan warned of shortages in the coming months. “I think we will keep the autumn and winter, but will have to make some unpopular measures to reduce energy consumption,” Prodan said on Friday. He accused the Kremlin of using the gas “as a political tool.”
More about
exacerbated the energy crisis caused by the conflict in the east of the country, who interrupted a week ago by a ceasefire been. According to the head of the Ukrainian energy company DTEK, Maxim Timchenko, the work was stopped in the mines in the highly competitive coal mining area. The mines, otherwise cover a large part of the Ukrainian coal demand would be only in about a month back in operation, Timchenko said.
Here you can purchase the rights to this article
<- ========= Confirmation page.! Will be loaded by JS if submission is successful === ============ ->
<-.! ==== ================== End Confirmation page ====================== ->
No comments:
Post a Comment