Wednesday, February 15, 2012

Ukraine

Finnish Premier To Discuss Ukraine's EU hopes

5 October 2005 (RFE/RL) -- Finnish Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen plans to visit Ukraine today for talks on trade and Ukraine's aspirations to join the European Union.

TEXT SIZE - +

October 05, 2005

Vanhanen is expected to hold talks with President Viktor Yushchenko, Prime Minister Yuriy Yekhanurov, and Parliament Speaker Volodymyr Lytvyn.

Finland takes over the EU's rotating presidency next July, and last week a senior Finnish lawmaker said it hopes to lead discussions on Ukraine's membership prospects during its six-month tenure.

Ukrainian officials are reportedly encouraged by the EU decision this week to open membership talks with Turkey and Croatia, but they are concerned at signs that Brussels is suffering "expansion fatigue" which could hinder further accessions.

(AP)

See also:

Yushchenko Goes To Brussels To Ask EU For Membership Talks

See RFE/RL's special page European Union Expands Eastward

A vendor in the central Bosnian town of Zenica sells heart-shaped cushions with proclamations of love for 1 euro each.

Love It (Or Hate It), It's Valentine's Day

Valentine's Day, the Western holiday celebrating love, has become a global phenomenon over the past two decades. The fall of communism and the emergence of the Internet have helped February 14 become something of an unofficial international day of romance. However, not all the passions the holiday stirs are related to love. While some countries have openly embraced the holiday, others are attempting to ban it or replace it with local customs. More

'Police Detain Stuffed Animals' In Minsk Toy Protest

Belarusian youth activists say police have "detained" some stuffed animals used in an antigovernment protest in Minsk, in an echo of similar recent protests in Russia. More

There are frequent reports in the Bulgarian and Ukrainian media about Romanian “pirates” robbing passing transport ships on the Danube. (file photo)

Reports Of 'Pirates Of The Danube' Get The Old Heave-Ho

An attack last month on a Ukrainian barge on the Romanian sector of the Danube River has caused a diplomatic tussle between Bucharest and Kyiv, sparking media reports of possible acts of piracy on Europe's second-largest river. But do “Danube pirates” actually exist? More