Ukraine reaffirms commitment to sign association deal with EU

Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych on Thursday said his country, which bids to acquire observer status in the Russia-led Customs Union, still hopes to sign an association agreement with the European Union (EU) during the Eastern Partnership summit in November. "We certainly expect a positive decision at the Vilnius summit. Further development of our country and further reforms are linked to the issues of European integration," Yanukovych said during his meeting with European Parliament vice-president Jacek Protasiewicz here. Kiev attaches great importance to dialogue with the EU and the European Parliament and stands for closer ties between the two sides, Yanukovych said. For his part, Protasiewicz appreciated Yanukovych's efforts to enhance Ukraine's relations with the EU. Ukraine, which has proclaimed a strategic course of Euro-integration, needs to fulfill 11 EU requirements by November to sign the partnership deal. The EU and Ukraine initialed a political association agreement on March 30 last year, in a landmark move toward the country's integration into the 27-member bloc. The deal would allow Ukraine access to the union's free trade area which also includes non-EU nations such as Norway and Switzerland.