11/10 09:30 EBA Business Morning with H.E. Ian Boag, Head of the EC Delegation to Ukraine

On 11 October, 2007, the EBA members attended the EBA Business Morning with H.E. Mr Ian Boag, the Head of the European Commission`s Delegation to Ukraine. Mr Ian Boag provided all present with the latest information on the annual EU-Ukraine Summit  (held on 14 September in Kyiv)and the progress in EU-Ukraine relations etc. His Excellency stressed that the Summit was maintained by Mr Victor Yushchenko and Mr Victor Yanukovich from the Ukrainian side. Both the representatives of Ukraine and of the European Union reaffirmed strong and sustained ties between the Parties. 

During the Summit Parties: 
• Welcomed the important progress achieved in the implementation of the EU-Ukraine Action Plan;
• Reaffirmed their intention to launch negotiations on a deep and comprehensive Free Trade Area as a core element of the agreement following finalisation of Ukraine's accession to the WTO (EU lieders confirmed their full support for Ukraine's progress towards WTO membership and underlined the importance of solving outstanding issues as a matter of priority;
• Welcomed continued close co-operation in the area of foreign and security policy, in particular on regional stability and crisis management;
• Confirmed their intentions for further development of co-operation on the settlement of regional conflicts, non-proliferation of WMD;
• Reaffirmed their commitment to constructive co-operation to achieve a sustainable, comprehensive and just settlement to the Transnistrian conflict;
• Expressed satisfaction with the deepening of co-operation in the trade and economic sphere;
• Reaffirmed their joint strategic interest in energy co-operation;
• Agreed to continue co-operation with the aim of advancing Ukrainian energy sector reform and of ensuring safe, reliable and transparent energy transit through Ukraine;
• Welcomed the concrete steps taken to improve nuclear safety in Ukraine, such as the successful completion of the stabilisation measures of the existing Chernobyl shelter, and the agreement reached by Ukraine, the European Commission and the IAEA on the Terms of Reference for the joint evaluation of safety of the Ukrainian nuclear power plants;
• Stressed the importance of the implementation of the revised Action Plan on Justice, Freedom and Security, endorsed by the EU-Ukraine Co-operation Council on 18 June 2007, and the accompanying Scoreboard.