Ukraine Repeats EU Membership Calls

KIEV, Ukraine -- Ukraine wants to start EU accession talks within the next three years and so is considering distancing itself from a Moscow-led economic union.

"We have a three-year action plan (with the EU) and we can speak about starting negotiations at the end of this period, in other words 2007," said Ukrainian Foreign Minister Boris Tarasyuk, according to AFP.


Foreign Minister Boris Tarasyuk
Mr Tarasyuk also believes that the EU will officially recognize "in the second half of this year...the prospect of Ukraine's accession to the EU".

EU foreign ministers have welcomed Ukraine's efforts towards democracy, but have avoided mentioning possible EU membership.

In a separate interview, Ukraine's new Justice Minister Roman Zvarich said that the country is re-considering joining the planned Russia-led Common Economic Space (CES).

Talking to Russian daily Izvestia, Mr Zvarich pointed out that he "cannot imagine" how one country can meet the requirements for joining CES and the EU at the same time.

Russia has been pushing for an economic union with Ukraine, Belarus and Kazakhstan.

"It won't do to flip back and forth between the West and the East -- that's nonsense," Zvarich said, according to AFP. "Our strategic aim is European integration," he added.

Ukraine is also hoping to join the NATO before the EU, claiming that many other former Soviet bloc countries have done the same.