Ukraine government approves draft association agreement with EU

The Ukrainian Cabinet came to an understanding on association agreement between Ukraine, Eastern Europe, and the European Union, the Ukrainian government press service reported on Wednesday. The clauses devoted to economic cooperation make up a large part of the agreement. The draft agreement consists of seven sections, which contain a total of 486 articles. Along with general principles the document contains the sections of political dialogue and reforms, political association, cooperation and convergence in foreign policy and security, justice, freedom and security, trade and the issues related with trade, economic cooperation and cooperation in different industries, financial cooperation and a clause on the struggle against fraud, institutional, general and concluding provisions. Thus, the signatories committed to develop and expand political dialogue that is aimed at deeper political association, promotion of international stability and security, closer dialogue over international security and anti-crisis management. The main principles of the relations between the signatories are the supremacy of law, proper management, struggle against corruption, against different types of transnational organized crime and terrorism, promotion of sustainable development and efficient diversification. The principles of free market economy will lay foundations for cooperation between the signatories. The counteraction to the spread of mass destruction weapons and their delivery vehicles are also among the main principles of cooperation. The signatory parties committed to respond timely and consistently to the attempts to upset the principles set in the document at all possible levels of political dialogue. The signatories committed to cooperate in counteraction and struggle against money laundering and funding of terrorism. The Ukraine-EU Association Agreement was initialed in 2012. After the technical check of the draft agreement the signatories will make an official translation of the document on the Ukrainian language and all languages of the EU states. After that the document may be signed and ratified. The agreement may be signed at an EU Eastern Partnership summit in Vilnius in November 2013.