Ukraine and the European Union agreed the entire text of the association agreement and free trade zone deal, Ukrainian Prime Minister Mykola Azarov said on Friday.
Kiev hoped to conclude free trade talks with the EU by the end of 2011. The free trade provision is expected to become a part of an association agreement with the EU. However, the signing of the deal was called into question after Ukraine's ex-Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko was sentenced to seven years in prison in October for abusing her authority in signing a 2009 gas deal with Russia.
“The text of the agreement has been completed,” Azarov said, adding that the only remaining stumbling block is Kiev's insistence on including a provision concerning the outlook for Ukraine’s EU membership.
The Prime Minister also said that the document on the free trade zone deal is also nearly completed.
Earlier on Friday Ukraine and EU held the last round of talks on establishment of a free trade zone.
