Ashton meets key stakeholders in Kiev

EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Catherine Ashton is in Kiev Monday to meet with Ukrainian political leaders and parliamentarians and discuss how the EU can help the country in overcoming its economic woes. EU spokesman Olivier Bailly told a news conference that the offer by the EU to sign a trade and investment agreement with Ukraine remains on the table."We are ready to sign this agreement once Ukraine is ready," he said.But the spokesman added that the EU prefers to sign the deal after the elections scheduled to beheld in Ukraine in May.Bailly also said that the EU is preparing the list of Ukrainian officials who are accused of human rights violations to be included in a sanctions list.