The European Union signed an agreement with Ukraine, Georgia and Moldova

The European Union signed an association agreement with Ukraine, Georgia and Moldova. This is reported by Agency France-Presse .

“This is a great day for Europe ... The European Union today supports you more than ever,” said EU chairman German van Rompei.

President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko, signing the economic part of the agreement, emphasized that it would not harm Russia.

“I will sign an association agreement using this ballpoint pen on which the EU Association with Ukraine, Vilnius, November 29, 2013” is written. Then this did not happen, but the ballpoint pen remains. We see that she demonstrates that historical events are inevitable, ”Poroshenko said.

Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Russia Grigory Karasin on Friday commented on the news of the signing of the agreement. The conclusion of this agreement is the sovereign law of Ukraine, but it will have serious consequences.

“The consequences of the signing by Ukraine and Moldova [Association Agreements] will certainly be serious, but we must not get off with general words, but to calculate what it will result in in order to avoid all kinds of misunderstandings and suspicions in the future, ” Interfax quotes Karasin.

On April 23, 2014, the EU reduced import duties for more than 80% of Ukrainian goods in the EU from November 1, 2014. For a number of agricultural products, including pork and cereals, the duties are reset.

The Association of the EU and Ukraine planned to be signed in November 2013. However, the signing did not take place, since immediately before the Eastern Partnership summit, on which it was going to sign it, the Ukrainian government put forward new requirements related to compensation for potential losses for the country's economy, and also proposed to discuss the document on tripartite negotiations with Russia. The European Union rejected the requirements as "unprecedented." On November 28, the agreement on the joint aviation space of Ukraine and the EU was para). On December 15, negotiations were interrupted by agreement.

After the former opposition came to power, the new government resumed negotiations, and on March 21 a political block of agreement was signed regarding political interaction, security issues and the fight against terrorism.

The agreement is designed to bring the legislation of Ukraine to the norms of the European Union, including in the field of technical standards, the rules for doing business and economic laws and regulations. The most important part of the agreement is the abolition of a significant part of the customs duties between the EU and Ukraine and the simultaneous ban on joining other economic blocs and unions, which provide for duty -free trade between members. EU and Russia officials have repeatedly emphasized that the signing of the Association Agreement will entail the exclusion of Ukraine from the Customs Union, possibly from the CIS duty -free trade zone, as well as the introduction of a number of protective customs measures from Russia.