EU Calls For Stable Government In Ukraine

KIEV, Ukraine -- EU leaders on Friday urged Ukraine to use upcoming elections to end months of infighting and to quickly form a stable government capable of pushing ahead with reforms, as Kiev reiterated its hopes for EU membership.

President of Ukraine Viktor Yushchenko(L) listens to EU Foreign Policy chief Javier Solana, prior to the EU-Ukraine summit in Kiev. EU leaders on Friday urged Ukraine to use upcoming elections to end months of infighting and to quickly form a stable government capable of pushing ahead with reforms, as Kiev reiterated its hopes for EU membership.
Speaking at an annual EU-Ukrainian summit, European Commission chief Jose Manuel Barroso gave the forthcoming September 30 parliamentary elections a vote of confidence, saying "we are convinced that the elections will be organised in conformity with international standards."

But he added: "It is important to achieve stability for the Ukrainian government to concentrate its energy on reforms."

This view was echoed by EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana, who also met separately with opposition leader Yulia Timoshenko. He stressed the importance of the "opportunity to have a government as quickly as possible."

Ukraine President Viktor Yushchenko meanwhile said he expected the transition to a new government to go smoothly and reiterated his desire for the ex-Soviet republic of 46 million people to join the EU.

"I am sure that these things will be done quickly thanks to the election results," he said.

Locked between the EU on one side and Russia on the other, Ukraine has been rocked by drawn-out clashes between its pro-Western president and his bitter rival, Moscow-friendly Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych.

Yushchenko swept to power on the back of the 2004 "Orange Revolution", when hundreds of thousands of demonstrators filled the streets to protest a fraudulent vote that initially handed Yanukovych the presidency.

The new president was quickly plunged into a political crisis however, and last April he dissolved parliament after a prolonged battle with the pro-Russian majority that now runs the government.

Western critics meanwhile complain that the pace of reforms intended to liberalise Ukraine's economy has slowed.

Yushchenko and Yanukovych have agreed on the need to join the EU, but remain at odds on the more contentious issue of joining the NATO military alliance, with Yushchenko in favour and Yanukovych opposed.

Portuguese Prime Minister Jose Socrates, whose country holds the EU's rotating presidency, offered words of encouragement at Friday's meeting, saying he was sure Ukraine would "achieve stability".

Many EU states however remain far from convinced that Ukraine would be a valuable addition to the bloc.

Friday's meeting was formally aimed at assessing progress on the creation of a new enhanced cooperation agreement between Ukraine and the union.

Solana said a new round of talks on the agreement would take place next month.

Kiev hopes that agreement will contain some signal that the country could be considered for membership of the bloc.

An existing partnership agreement expires next year.

The new accord is expected to address easing trade barriers after Ukraine joins the World Trade Organisation, which it hopes to do by the end of the year.

Easing visa regulations for Ukrainians to visit the rest of Europe was also discussed during the talks, Yushchenko said.

Source: AFP