Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2007-11-14-Speech-3-387"
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"en.20071114.36.3-387"2
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"Mr President, acting as you did earlier I would like first of all to congratulate Mr Zaleski on such an insightful report concerning trade and economic relations with Ukraine. The issue of cooperation with Ukraine is particularly important at present, and all the initiatives aimed at strengthening cooperation are a clear sign of European interest in our eastern neighbour and of openness on the part of the European Union.
The problem lies in the fact that the time when it would be appropriate to put into practice the idea of closer cooperation, going further than the European Neighbourhood Policy, which has been of little benefit to Ukraine so far, is actually coming. It is undeniable that Ukraine still has far to go to approach the Community’s economic, political and social structures. The tasks that Ukraine faces have been thoroughly considered in the report.
Despite the fact that Ukraine can boast of its achievements as regards liberalisation of trade and capital flows, further reforms and strengthening of the Ukrainian economy, which includes membership of the WTO, are essential. Despite the European aspirations aired during the orange revolution, Ukraine still has to make an unequivocal choice between the European option and the Russian one. If we want Ukraine to choose the European option, we must state this clearly and we must give this our support.
The EU should express its interest in contact with Ukraine by providing active support on the one hand for changes in Ukraine and, on the other, by taking steps within the European Union aimed at a gradual transition from a neighbourhood policy to a policy of integration. For this purpose, steps need to be taken both on the economic front and in the social and political arenas. It would be appropriate, therefore, to support Ukraine’s independence from Russia by strengthening economic ties, which means creating an EU-Ukraine free trade area, including Ukraine in the Community’s power network, and possibly providing finance for the transport system.
It would also be useful to support and implement programmes to promote Ukraine in the European Union as well as the European Union in Ukraine, and also programmes to promote the development of science and education, which is an issue raised by Professor Buzek. The most important step as regards changing the image of the European Union in the eyes of Ukrainians would be to abolish the visa requirement for travelling to the European Union, as well as a clear statement, and this is something of which everyone has spoken, that Ukraine will be able to accede to the European Union, even if this involves an extended time frame."@en1
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