Ukraine to join Customs Union agreements not conflicting with its international commitments

Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko has completed his official visit to Ukraine. While in Kiyev, Alexander Lukashenko held talks with his Ukrainian counterpart Viktor Yanukovich. Ukraine will join the Customs Union agreements not contradicting the international obligations, President of Ukraine said following talks with Alexander Lukashenko. Viktor Yanukovych said that Ukraine has been isolated from the process of establishment of the Customs Union. During this time, the "troika" has taken many steps. According to the Ukrainian head of state, relevant instruments were necessary for Ukraine to be able to join the Customs Union. And one of them was the memorandum to enhance cooperation between Ukraine and the Eurasian Economic Commission signed in Minsk on 31 May: I’d like to emphasize that this decision was dictated by purely economic interests of Ukraine and traditional relationships between the countries of the Customs Union and Ukraine. In 2012 the Customs Union countries accounted for over 36% of Ukraine's foreign trade, which was about $63 billion.

 I am confident that the efforts to promote interaction with the Customs Union and in the future with the Eurasian Economic Union will help to achieve the necessary progress in economic cooperation and improvement of the well-being of our people, the president said.