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Ukraine, EU approve pact

September 16, 2014

The Ukrainian parliament has ratified an association agreement with the EU, creating closer ties between Ukraine and the bloc. Implementation of the new deal will likely take some time.

https://p.dw.com/p/1DCr7
Kiew Parlament
Image: picture-alliance/dpa

The ratification Tuesday of the EU-Ukraine Association Agreement received strong support in Kyiv and Strasbourg. Ukrainian President Poroshenko has called the pact a "de facto" reform program for Ukraine as it creates a free-trade environment with the European Union.

In simultaneous ceremonies, the documents were signed in Kyiv and in Strasbourg by Ukrainian and EU officials, respectively.

However, the pact will not be implemented until the end of 2015 due to protests from Russia, a country that also has a free trade agreement with Ukraine but does not have one with the EU. Russian officials fear that the Russian market would be flooded with goods from the EU, and have attempted to insert amendments to the agreement that would prevent this.

mz/bw (AFP, dpa)