EU grants market economy status to Ukraine |
|
|
|
Published
:
Fri, 02 Dec 2005 07:05
|
KIEV, Ukraine - The European Union has agreed to grant market economy status to Ukraine. This is a major step towards boosting trade relations between the European nations and Ukraine in what was the first summit since the Orange Revolution swept the country last year.
British Prime Minister Tony Blair made this announcement in Kiev. Blair, who holds the rotating EU presidency, said that this recognition was a direct result of the progress that Ukraine had made since the Orange revolution last year. "These processes of change are immensely difficult and it is always hard to meet every expectation that is raised, but I hope people in Ukraine are in no doubt ... about how differently Ukraine is viewed in the world," he added. President Viktor Yushchenko, who came to power after the Revolution is seen as pro-Western and this was very much in evidence at the summit.
He said that the granting of a market economy status was a big step ahead for his country, "Today, we got a clear political decision regarding the granting of market economy status to Ukraine. The changing of status causes a chain of changes in our relationship," he commented after the talks.
EU is the biggest trading partner of Ukraine with almost 32 percent of the country's exports heading out there. Russia with 31 percent and Asia with 24 percent are the other major trading partners of this country populated by about 47 million people. Jose Manuel Barroso, the president of the EU Commission heaped effusive praise on the liberal leadership of the country and said that granting a market status would be a key step towards full membership of the EU. "The next crucial step will be free and fair [parliamentary] elections next March," he added.
Ukraine's bid to join the World Trade Organization (WTO) ended in failure after its parliament failed to ratify the necessary legislation. During this summit, an aviation agreement allowing European airlines to operate from any EU state to Ukraine was also inked.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Print this Story
