Kyiv, Ukraine – The global edition of The New York Times – International Herald Tribune – dedicated a page to Ukraine in their Friday issue (April 20th). Articles on Ukraine included a feature on the European integration, article on trade with Middle East, as well as a piece sketching Ukraine – Turkey cooperation.

The page titled Partners in Growth begins with an analysis of prospects of enhancing commercial ties with Turkey. “Turkey is an important exporter to Ukraine, sending its food products – especially fruit and nuts – cars and clothes,” reads the text. Ukraine, in return, exports steel products, mineral fertilizers, and chemical and agricultural products to Turkey, says the article.

Summarizing the pros of closer cooperation with Turkey, the piece reminds that such policy fits within the so-called third way strategy outlined by the Ukrainian foreign minister Kostiantyn Gryshchenko. It suggests that an active foreign policy of increasing trade with non-EU and non-CIS states needs to be implemented.

The article on Ukraine’s European integration explains the role of Association Agreement on the way toward becoming a part of the EU. “Polish diplomats hailed the treaty [Association Agreement] as a breakthrough that puts Ukraine directly into the EU orbit,” says the text of the piece that looks onto the possibilities that agreement opens for Ukraine.

According to the article in the International Herald Tribune, Association Agreement targets to eventually lead to a political association and a free-trade area between Ukraine and the EU. Quoting the Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine Andriy Klyuyev, the article states that a free-trade area with the EU would boost the Ukrainian economy by two percent. Overall, association with Europe would allow Ukraine adopt high European standards, reckoned Minister Gryshchenko.

The International Herald Tribune also informs that the country is an important supplier of grain, goods and expertise to the countries of Middle East and North Africa. Unsurprisingly, Ukraine exports large amounts of grain to the region. Moreover, in October of 2011 the Ukrainian parliament ratified an agreement with Saudi Arabia on space cooperation.

The article puts focus on relations with Egypt and Saudi Arabia as Ukraine’s most active partners in the region.

Incidentally, Ukraine got exclusive coverage in The Washington Post in their February 1st special edition.

Image Courtesy of  Anton Gvozdikov / Shutterstock.com

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Ukrainian Cabinet of Ministers adopted the 2012 plan of immediate measures concerning the country’s integration to the European Union. The document deals with internal reform issues (the likes of gas transporting system modernization, institutional reform in Ukraine, and hosting EURO 2012), as well as questions of deepening Ukraine-EU ties: visa liberalization, cooperation with EU police and justice offices, expanding trade cooperation, etc.

Besides the listed domestic reforms, the document stipulates measures to enhance regional development of the country, restructuring of the national gas managing company Naftogaz, as well as preparations to the Association Agreement implementation.

Ukraine also plans to enhance cooperation with the EU in the areas of nuclear safety, research and technology, defense, space exploration. Additionally, the new document sets the agenda for creating the common airspace with the EU. According to the plan, Ukraine intends to join the European Network of Transmission System Operators for Electricity.

Ukraine and the EU share a 1,391 kilometer long border and have established close cooperation in a number of areas. Ukraine is EU’s strategic gas transit partner. Its gas transporting system services 70% of the Russian gas export to Europe. The EU is one of Ukraine’s key trade partners with the trade volume in 2011 constituting USD 44 billion and demonstrating a 36% growth.

European integration has been a long-term foreign policy goal for Ukraine. The country began negotiations with the EU in 1999. Various officials of the EU member states, including Czech Republic, Finland, and Lithuania, backed Ukraine’s European ambition.
By 2007 the sides agreed to eventually sign the Association Agreement. After 21 rounds of negotiations over the Association Agreement, Ukraine and the EU finalized the negotiating process on December 19, 2011.

The Association Agreement will regulate political cooperation of the partners, as well as introduce the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area between Ukraine and the EU. Initialing of the political and, partly, economical sections of the document took place in Brussels on March 30, 2012.

Currently the sides are working on the technical aspects of the document preparation for signing and further ratification. Meanwhile, the President of Ukraine Viktor Yanukovych stated that Ukraine perceived the Association Agreement as comprehensive program of reforms.

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