Ukraine may join the Customs Union in July, RIA Novosti reports Valery Muntyan, the authorized Ukrainian government official for cooperation with Russia, the CIS and the Eurasian Economic Community, as saying.
The signing of an agreement on a free trade zone with the CIS is planned for May. Ukraine may start working on the Customs Union if the Constitutional Court approves the decision and internal procedures are made, Kommersant-Ukraine said on Tuesday.
Muntiyan said that they plan to establish a free trade zone between the Customs Union and the EU in 2015. Agreements may be signed on the free trade zone with the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation. The main goal is a common Eurasian market. Ukraine has interests in China, India and Singapore.
Ukraine and the EU plan to conclude talks on association this year. Establishment of a free trade zone is part of the document. The negotiations are being dragged out over Ukraine’s export of agricultural products.
The Ukrainian President, Victor Yanukovich, ordered the government to activate efforts on establishing a free trade zone with the EU in February.
The Ukrainian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Constantine Grishenko, said that Ukraine is ready to cooperate with the Customs Union of Belarus, Kazakhstan and Russia.
Prime Minister Nikolai Azarov said that Ukraine can be a member of the Customs Union and have a free trade zone with the EU at the same time.
