Ukraine has complied with everything necessary for visa-free regime with the EU. We hope to have a positive decision of our European partners on December 15

Ukraine expects to have a final report of the European Union mission on visa liberalization between Ukraine and the EU, which will be published on 15 December: "Ukraine has fulfilled all the requirements necessary for the visa-free regime to be introduced. We hope for a positive decision of our European partners", said Prime Minister of Ukraine Arseniy Yatsenyuk in Brussels following the meeting of the EU – Ukraine Association Council on Monday, December 7th.

Arseniy Yatsenyuk noted that Ukraine firstly presided over the meeting of the Association Council in Brussels: "We had a constructive and very clear discussion regarding the implementation of the Association Agreement and further steps Ukraine needs to do to ensure that we become part of the broad European space".

The Head of Government stressed that the Association Agreement shapes for Ukraine "a clear plan of reforms, which Ukraine is pursuing and will prolong to implement": "These are the reforms directed to fight against corruption, the judicial reform, public finance reform, public sector, energy reform".

"We have tackled all the issues that constitute the basis of our Association Agreement and informed our European partners about the progress of the Ukrainian side in implementation of the provisions and our plans for 2016", he said.

In particular, Arseniy Yatsenyuk stressed, we have discussed the reform in energy sector: "We have made unprecedented steps – we have introduced market tariffs in Ukraine, adopted a new law on natural gas market, approved a new system of corporate management in the largest national joint stock company "Naftogaz of Ukraine", which has today the best transportation capabilities in Europe".

Ukraine has given to the European partners a vision of the strategy of public administration reform. According to Arseniy Yatsenyuk, financing of public administration reform "should be conducted taking into account a new policy in the public administration": "We expect that the Ukrainian Parliament would adopt the law of Ukraine on public service. Thus, the strategy developed by Ukraine to reform the civil service, will enable us to call on our European partners to provide establishment of a special Fund for paying higher salaries for civil servants, just a targeted fund to follow the specifically determined goals and the appropriate strategy that is consistent with our European friends".

The Prime Minister noted that today's meeting of the EU-Ukraine Association Council takes place before the entry into force of the DCFTA with the EU on 1 January: "We had had 13 different technical consultations with our northern neighbour regarding the introduction of this Agreement, regarding those questions the Russian Federation had".

"We are ready to answer any other questions. But our answer is clear: the Agreement will enter into force on the 1st [of January], Ukraine will implement it, and this Agreement fits the interests of the European Union and Ukraine alike", summed up Arseniy Yatsenyuk.

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