OREANDA-NEWS. June 27, 2013. Luxembourgh supports concluding the Agreement on association and free trade area between Ukraine and the European Union during the Eastern Partnership summit in Vilnius. This was announced by Prime Minister of Luxembourg Jean-Claude Juncker during a meeting with Prime Minister of Ukraine Mykola Azarov in Luxembourg.

“We consider that the Association Agreement must be inked during the Summit in Vilnius,” Jean-Claude Juncker has said.

The Prime Minister of Luxembourg does not see conflict approaches between EU and the Customs Union and the need for Ukraine to choose between the two customs unions. 

He is convinced that Ukraine, by reason of its historical, economic and other factors, is obliged to cooperate with both associations.

“As for me, I cannot see any conflict approaches in relations of EU and the Customs Union. Ukraine is strategically extremely significant European country. And in view of its location has to have peculiar relations with Russia. Without that nothing will work,” Jean-Claude Juncker views. 

Moreover, he considers that economic relations have to be an unconditional priority both in the relations between Ukraine and EU, and in bilateral relations between Ukraine and Luxembourg.

At the same time, the Government of Luxembourg called on their business to increase their presence in Ukraine. And, according to Jean-Claude Juncker, business is interested in it.

At this, the Prime Minister of Luxembourg underlined that Luxembourg business was interested to be more aware about the conditions of investment into Ukraine and to have respective guarantees at the state level.

In turn, Mykola Azarov assured that the Government of Ukraine would provide state guarantees for realization of large investment projects and briefed about the steps made by the Government targeting deregulation, simplifying of conditions of making buisness in Ukraine. 

Mykola Azarov accentuated the following day he would have a meeting with representatives of Luxembourg business circles and answer all the questions which rose concern of businessmen.

In the course of the meeting the parties agreed to hold Ukraine-Luxembourg business forum and also stir up preparation of an Agrement of avoiding of double taxation.

Apart from that, on commenting cooperation between Ukraine and the IMF Jean-Claude Juncker expressed his thought that international financial organizations started realizing that realities of Ukraine were such that standard recipes were impossible to apply.

The topic of investment cooperation between Ukraine and Luxembourg was tackled also during a meeting between Prime Minister of Ukraine Mykola Azarov with Speaker of the Parliament of Luxembourg Laurent Mosar.

Laurent Mosar confirmed readiness of Luxembourg companies to enter Ukrainian market as well.

Besides, in the frames of the official visit to Luxembourg the Head of Ukrainian Government has met with EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Catherine Ashton, European Commissioner for Enlargement and European Neighborhood Policy Stefan Fule and Vice Prime Minister – Minister for Foreign Affairs of Ireland Eamon Gilmore.