Georgia, Moldova Agree Deals with EU, Ukraine Refuses

Local Editor

The European Union on Friday initialed association agreements with Georgia and Moldova but failed to draw Ukraine closer in its drive to boost ties with six ex-Soviet states on its eastern flank.

Ukraine, the largest of the six, had already initialed a landmark political and trade deal with the EU but did not go ahead with signing an agreement after coming under pressure from Moscow.

The political and trade agreements with the EU initialed by Georgia and Moldova mark the end of negotiations to strengthen mutual ties, but will still need to be officially signed to come into effect, hopefully within the next year.
"The Ukrainian president is not ready to go further into integration with the European Union," Lithuanian President Dalia Grybauskaite said earlier.

The head of state, who was hosting leaders of the 28-nation bloc and of six ex-Soviet states at a two-day Eastern Partnership summit, said "today's Ukrainian leadership is choosing the way which is going nowhere."
French President Francois Hollande said "the [EU] door will always remain open for Ukrainians should they wish it."

European Union president Herman Van Rompuy meanwhile hailed "the determination, courage and political will" of Georgia and Moldova for initialing the deals amid worries that they too like Ukraine will come under Russian pressure to pull back from closer integration with the EU.

Source: News Agencies, Edited by website team