Ukraine, EU Holding Negotiations On Association Agreement

Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych in Brussels in November

Representatives of Ukraine and the European Union are due to meet in the EU headquarters city of Brussels for another round of negotiations toward reaching an association agreement between Ukraine and the EU.

The two sides have been working to reach such a pact since September 2008.

An association agreement is a treaty that creates a framework for cooperation between the EU and a non-EU country.

As part of such agreements, the EU generally seeks commitments to democratic and market reforms in the partner country, and in exchange offers enhanced access to EU markets.

Association agreements, after they are negotiated, must be ratified by all 27 European Union member states to come into force.

compiled from local and other agency reports