EP president backs signing of Association Agreement with Ukraine in Vilnius …
European Parliament President Martin Schulz has said he supports the signing of the Association Agreement with Ukraine in Vilnius, but noted that this also depends on what needs to be done in Kyiv.
He said at a press conference held in Strasbourg on Wednesday during a break in a plenary meeting of the European Parliament: “I personally strongly support the signing of the agreement, if possible, in Vilnius, but it depends not only on the EU, but also on what needs to be done in Kyiv.”
Schulz said that the EU “is very interested to see Ukraine as close as possible.”
He also noted that he was in close contact with representatives of the Ukrainian government and the opposition.
“The opportunity to sign the Association Agreement, which includes a deep and comprehensive free trade area, with Ukraine depends on the ability of the leadership in Kyiv to demonstrate a clear commitment to fulfill the criteria, commitments in relation to a full-fledged parliamentary democracy, the protection of values of the European Union, and it’s clear that it also depends on improvements in troubled cases – not just the case of [former Prime Minister Yulia] Tymoshenko, but also other cases,” Schulz said.