EU ready to resume talks with Russia and Ukraine
(VOVworld) - The EU is ready to resume negotiations with Russia and Ukraine to ease Moscow’s concerns over a plan to establish a free trade zone between EU and Ukraine. European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso confirmed this in a letter to President Putin on Wednesday. Barroso said the EU-Ukraine Association Agreement remains a bilateral agreement in line with international law and any alterations to it can only be made at the request of one of the parties and with the agreement of the other. Only Ukraine and the EU are authorized to change the deal.
European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso
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Russia has announced customs duties on Ukrainian goods which will take effect only if Ukraine implements the trade provisions of the Association Agreement with the EU before 2016. In response, Barroso said these trade barriers will run counter to agreements reached at the trilateral negotiation on September 12th.