BRUSSELS, August 28 (RIA Novosti) – The European Commission has no plans to discuss changes to the Association Agreement between the European Union and Ukraine, commission spokesman Peter Stano told RIA Novosti on Thursday.
“The process of consultations on possible risks created by implementation of the AA/DCFTA can in no way lead to renegotiation of bilateral commitments between the EU and Ukraine set out in the AA/DCFTA and will not have bearing on its entry into force,” Stano said.
The spokesman also added that at a trilateral meeting in Brussels on July 11, the ministers of Russia, Ukraine and the European Union agreed to launch a consultation mechanism focusing on Russia's concerns about the regulations that could follow the implementation of the Association Agreement (AA) and the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Agreement (DCFTA).
“The European Union has throughout the year engaged with Russia in order to dispel any possible misunderstandings and to discuss the economic effects of the implementation EU-Ukraine AA/DCFTA on Russia,” Stano said.
He said that talks took place on Tuesday in Minsk and will continue on September 1 at a senior official level and on September 12 during a meeting among European Trade Commissioner Karel De Gucht and representatives from Ukraine and Russia.
In Minsk, Russia and Ukraine agreed to intensify the work of the trilateral group for the implementation of the Association Agreement.
Earlier, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko said he would submit the draft Association Agreement to parliament to be ratified in mid-September, ahead of the parliamentary elections in the country scheduled for October 26.
