The Ukrainian government is hoping to iron out many of the remaining issues in its free trade negotiations with the European Union, a minister has stressed.

Andriy Klyuev, Minster of Economic Development and Trade, made the comments during a recent meeting with the Polish Foreign Minister.

Klyuev said that the government hoped that many of the issues still surrounding the completion of a free trade agreement (FTA) with the EU would be settled during upcoming talks.

The Minister added that several topics were being discussed in detail. These include export duties, intellectual property rights, trading protection, customs, and trade liberalization for industrial goods, agricultural production and services.

The main unresolved issue remains that of transport services. Klyuev said that the European Commission’s Karel De Guht had agreed for the Commission to assist in negotiations on the subject.

The Ukrainian government has been insistent on its commitment to an EU deal of this kind, emphasizing its desire to secure a comprehensive agreement. In April, Prime Minister Mykola Azarov said he hoped negotiations would be concluded by the end of the year.

According to Azarov, by April roughly 90% of positions were agreed to. Azarov believes that an EU FTA would be a big step for his country, and that it would result in increased foreign investment and economic modernization.

Ulrika Lomas,
Tax-News.com, Brussels