- Title: Ukraine expects EU to make progress with association, visa-free deals
- Date: 24th October 2016
- Summary: BERLIN, GERMANY (OCTOBER 24, 2016) (REUTERS) VARIOUS UKRAINIAN DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER FOR EUROPEAN AND EURO-ATLANTIC INTEGRATION, IVANNA KLYMPUSCH-TSINTSADZE, ARRIVING JOURNALIST AT DESK KLYMPUSCH-TSINTSADZE SPEAKING (SOUNDBITE) (English) UKRAINIAN DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER FOR EUROPEAN AND EURO-ATLANTIC INTEGRATION, IVANNA KLYMPUSCH-TSINTSADZE, SAYING: "I hope that there is enough will to take the responsibility for what has already been done, because all the ratification procedures have been finished by all countries, including The Netherlands back in 2015. Which means that right now you either have to stand up and protect those results, and explain the 20 per cent of the population that voted in the referendum in the Netherlands against ratification of the association agreement with Ukraine that it was not actually and it is not about Ukraine's membership today in the EU that it was something totally manipulated as a discussion in The Netherlands." KLYMPUSCH-TSINTSADZE SPEAKING JOURNALISTS (SOUNDBITE) (English) UKRAINIAN DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER FOR EUROPEAN AND EURO-ATLANTIC INTEGRATION, IVANNA KLYMPUSCH-TSINTSADZE, SAYING: "And my understanding is that the discussion goes between European Parliament, European Commission and European Council, who is the one who will be able to trigger the possible suspension mechanism for visa-free (movement) for any third country. So I hope that this could be solved very quickly and Ukraine will not be hostage of this process of internal communication between the EU institutions." JOURNALIST ASKING QUESTION (SOUNDBITE) (English) UKRAINIAN DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER FOR EUROPEAN AND EURO-ATLANTIC INTEGRATION, IVANNA KLYMPUSCH-TSINTSADZE, SAYING: "I think the chances for the armed OSCE mission in the east of Ukraine have increased after the Normandy format meeting because we heard the words, the comments from Chancellor Merkel from President Hollande, from Ukrainian president and even from Putin that have all to that extent mentioned in their comments the agreement, common understanding that there is a need of the OSCE police mission, armed police mission that would have access not only to the touch-line of the Ukrainian and basically Russian forces on Ukrainian territory, but to the whole territory of the occupied east and to the border between Ukraine and Russian Federation." JOURNALISTS WORKING KLYMPUSCH-TSINTSADZE LEAVING
- Embargoed: 8th November 2016 13:04
- Keywords: Ukraine visa association referendum
- Location: BERLIN, GERMANY
- City: BERLIN, GERMANY
- Country: Germany
- Topics: European Union,Government/Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA00155D6RZT
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Ukraine's minister in charge of European integration Ivanna Klympusch-Tsintsadze, told Reuters on Monday (October 24) she expects the EU to take responsibility for an association agreement with her country signed and ratified by all member states, but rejected in a Dutch referendum.
"I hope that there is enough will to take the responsibility for what has already been done, because all the ratification procedures have been finished by all countries, including The Netherlands back in 2015," Klympusch-Tsintsadze said, adding that the Dutch campaign ahead of the referendum was "manipulated" into suggesting the deal will lead to Ukraine joining the EU.
In April, Dutch voters overwhelmingly rejected a Ukraine-European Union treaty on closer political and economic ties, in a rebuke to their government and to the bloc's establishment.
The broad political, trade and defense treaty, which had already been signed by Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte's government and approved by all other EU nations as well as Ukraine, took effect provisionally in January.
Klympusch-Tsintsadze said she hopes Ukraine will not fall "hostage" in the process of determining which EU body will decide on the suspension of a visa-free mechanism for her country and another former Soviet republic, Georgia, after negotiations have ground to a halt.
"And my understanding is that the discussion goes between European Parliament, European Commission and European Council, who is the one who will be able to trigger the possible suspension mechanism for visa-free (movement) for any third country. So I hope that this could be solved very quickly and Ukraine will not be hostage of this process of internal communication between the EU institutions."
Ukraine, an ex-Soviet republic of 45 million people, faces stiffer resistance from some EU member states at a time of heightened public concern over immigration after more than a million migrants and refugees arrived in the bloc last year.
The powerful duo of Germany and France oppose granting more visa-free movement before the bloc has beefed up an emergency mechanism that will allow the swift suspension of more lenient travel rules in the event of a sharp increase in immigration.
The Minsk accord, reached in February 2015 in the Belarussian capital, should be the basis for a resolution of the crisis in southeast Ukraine, Russian President Vladimir Putin told reporters on Wednesday after international talks in Berlin.
Klympusch-Tsintsadze said she sees higher chances of deploying and armed OSCE police mission in east Ukraine after last week's meeting between European leaders and Russian President Vladimir Putin, who said it was agreed to "broaden the mission" of OSCE monitors in the conflict zone.
"I think the chances for the armed OSCE mission in the east of Ukraine have increased after the Normandy format meeting because we heard the words, the comments from Chancellor Merkel from President Hollande, from Ukrainian president and even from Putin that have all to that extent mentioned in their comments the agreement, common understanding that there is a need of the OSCE police mission, armed police mission that would have access not only to the touch-line of the Ukrainian and basically Russian forces on Ukrainian territory, but to the whole territory of the occupied east and to the border between Ukraine and Russian Federation," she said. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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