ST. PETERSBURG, June 10 (RIA Novosti) – Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Tuesday that Moscow had no objections to Ukraine’s association agreement with the European Union and was not planning to impose any sanctions on Kiev.
"We have no objections as far as the [EU association] process is concerned. We cannot bar anyone from developing cooperation with these international structures in the sphere of economic cooperation," the Russian minister told reporters after talks with his German and Polish counterparts, Frank-Walter Steinmeier and Radoslaw Sikorski.
He ruled out any kind of sanctions from Moscow should Ukraine choose a free-trade zone with the European Union.
"And if they [Ukrainians] opt for association with the EU, which contradicts a number of Ukraine’s obligations [as a member] of the CIS free trade zone, then Ukraine’s benefits under the CIS free trade zone will be over, and Russia will return to the most-favored nation regime in its trade relations with Ukraine. It’s a normal trade regime, it’s not sanctions," he said.
European Council President Herman Van Rompuy said earlier the European Union and Ukraine were due to sign the economic section of the association agreement by the EU summit slated for June 27.
Ukraine’s interim authorities signed political provisions of the EU association agreement on March 21. The signing of the key economic part of the deal has been postponed.
