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EU Reaches out to Ukraine, EC Commission Signals Ukraine Could Join the Union |
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Tuesday, 25 January 2005BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The European Commission has signalled Ukraine could eventually join the European Union even if Brussels will not
make any commitments at this stage.
Commission Vice President Margot Wallstrom said membership for Ukraine was "realistic" in comments which went further than those of
other EU officials, who have sought to cool the debate over whether the former Soviet state should join the bloc.
"We have discussed this a lot in the Commission and agree that eventually it is a realistic vision for the future that Ukraine should join (the EU) without today going out and saying we have a concrete date or an offer," she told reporters on Monday at an event marking the 10th
anniversary of Swedish EU membership.
The European Union has drawn up a plan to support the reform efforts of Ukraine's new West-leaning president, Viktor Yushchenko, but the
EU's two top external relations officials have remained silent on membership in the draft 10-point plan.
"The strategic choice of Ukraine, in favour of democracy and reform, has been welcomed by the European Union," EU foreign policy chief
Javier Solana and External Relations Commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner said in a draft of their letter.
"Now we must find the right actions to support this choice in concrete terms," said the draft, obtained by Reuters on Monday, three days
before Yushchenko was due to address the European Parliament in Brussels.
CLOSER ECONOMIC, TRADE TIES
The plan proposed that the EU beef up investment loans and reduce trade barriers to boost trade and economic ties with Kiev. It also
proposed closer cooperation with Ukraine on migration and on foreign and security policy.
EU foreign ministers are due to discuss the proposals when they meet in Brussels next week.
The plan made no mention of Ukraine's aim to join the bloc, even though Solana last week said accession was a "possibility" and despite
an EU assembly resolution urging Yushchenko to pursue such a goal.
Yushchenko pledged at his inauguration on Sunday to move Ukraine towards a "united Europe".
Solana and Ferrero-Waldner said the EU would launch talks for a deal with Kiev on steel imports for 2005, and speed up work on a future
free trade area agreement with Ukraine once it has joined the World Trade Organisation.
The EU should help Ukraine clear hurdles to win market economy status, which would lower anti-dumping tariffs on the country's exports.
The bloc should also earmark for Ukraine up to half of a 500 million euro (265 million pounds) European Investment Bank loan package the
EU has made available for Russia, Belarus, Moldova and Ukraine.
Reuters, via SwissInfo, 24 January 2005 |
Tuesday, 25 January 2005
By Marie-Louise Moller and John Cha
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