On November 24, Brussels will host
the 18th Ukraine-EU summit, according to a statement published on the
website of the EU Council, while Ukraine's Mission to EU has published the
summit's agenda including nearly 20 issues for discussion, according to an
UNIAN correspondent in Brussels.
Photo from UNIAN
The first issue listed on the agenda regards
priorities in political and economic reforms, including the EU assistance. The
second question to be discussed is cooperation in the field of common foreign
security policy and a common security and defense policy (CFSP / CSDP). Next
comes the issue of cooperation in the field of judiciary, freedoms, and
security, including visa liberalization. Issues related to trade, provisional
application of the Association Agreement in terms of Deep and Comprehensive
Free Trade Area, sectoral cooperation, including energy and transport, are also
set to be discussed at the summit.
A separate block of discussion will consider the
development of the situation in Ukraine. In particular, the sides will discuss
the situation in the certain areas of Donetsk and Luhansk regions and the
implementation of the Minsk agreements, including issues related to human
rights. The agenda also includes the discussion of illegal Russian annexation
of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and Sevastopol.
It is expected that another topic of discussion will
be the situation in the European Union, regional and foreign policy issues.
Separately, the "Russian issue" will be considered as well as the
situation in Moldova and Transnistria. It is possible that the parties may
discuss other matters.
The Ukraine-EU summit was postponed twice in 2016. The
first time, both sides agreed that the May summit should be postponed until
September due to the uncertainty of the consequences of the Dutch referendum on
Ukraine-EU Association Agreement.
However, in September, the meeting did not
happen, either. Sources in diplomatic circles claimed the reason for the delay
was the need to ensure concrete outcome of the summit, such as the approved
decision of the European institutions on visa liberalization for Ukraine.
On September 26, the profile EP Committee voted to include Ukraine on the list of states with which the EU was introducing a visa-free regime and start negotiations between the three European institutions (the European Parliament, the European Commission, and the European Council) regarding a visa waiver for Ukraine.
On September 26, the profile EP Committee voted to include Ukraine on the list of states with which the EU was introducing a visa-free regime and start negotiations between the three European institutions (the European Parliament, the European Commission, and the European Council) regarding a visa waiver for Ukraine.
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