Report on the European Union - Ukraine Summit
- On: 09.09.2008
- In: Paris
The European Union-Ukraine Summit in Paris on 9 September 2008
The EU-Ukraine Summit in Paris on 9 September 2008 brought together the President of the French Republic and current President of the European Council, accompanied by the French Minister of Foreign and European Affairs and the French Minister of State responsible for European Affairs, the President of the European Commission accompanied by the Commissioner in charge of External Relations and European Neighbourhood Policy and the Commissioner for Trade, and the High Representative for Common Foreign and Security Policy in attendance.
Ukraine was represented by Ukraine’s President Viktor Yushchenko accompanied by Volodymyr Ohryzko, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bohdan Danylyshyn, Minister of the Economy, Yuriy Yekhanurov, Minister of Defence, Mykola Onishchuk, Minister of Justice and Yuriy Prodan, Minister of Fuel and Energy.
The Summit made significant headway for future relations between the European Union and Ukraine. The European Union and Ukraine have decided to enter into an Association Agreement, of which the negotiations should be concluded in 2009.
The Joint Declaration adopted at the Summit sets forth the principles on which the enhanced partnership between the European Union and Ukraine will be based. The future agreement will be an Association Agreement, as Kiev wished. Ukraine is recognised for the first time as a European country which shares a common history and values with countries of the European Union.
As regards the movement of persons, an important issue for Ukrainian citizens, the European Union has stated that it is prepared to rapidly open a dialogue, without waiting for negotiations to be concluded, to study the conditions needed to put a visa-free regime in place over the long term.
The European Union and Ukraine have also decided to enhance their cooperation in several areas of mutual interest including energy, transport, justice and home affairs, CFSP and ESDP.
The crisis in Georgia was addressed in the Joint Declaration which reflects the strong convergence of views between the European Union and Ukraine. President Sarkozy informed President Yushchenko of the outcome of his recent trip to Moscow and Tbilisi.
- Updated: 24.12.2008
