Minister for Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko met with EU High Representative for Common Foreign and Security Policy Baroness Catherine Ashton in the framework of International Conference on Afghanistan held on 28 January 2010 in London.

 

P.Poroshenko informed her about the preparations for the second round of the presidential elections in Ukraine to be held on 7 February 2010.

 

P.Poroshenko and C.Ashton agreed that democratic and fair elections will speed up Ukraine’s pace towards the EU. The High Representative confirmed that relations with Ukraine will be one of her foreign policy priorities on the new post.

 

P.Poroshenko and C.Ashton also noted that the main task of Ukraine-EU relations for short-term perspective is to sign the Association Agreement with deep and comprehensive free trade area, as well as sectoral integration of Ukraine to the EU.

 

Special attention was paid to the issues of conflict settlement in “hot points” in the region of direct neighborhood as well as in Afghanistan.  In this context, C.Ashton praised Ukraine’s participation in the stabilization processes in Afghanistan and also Ukraine’s active position at London Conference.

 

P.Poroshenko invited C.Ashton to pay a visit to Ukraine. Ms.Ashton confirmed her readiness to pay such a visit in the near future.