Ukraine Reconfirms its Aspiration for Closer Integration With the European Union

KIEV, Ukraine, September 13, 2010 - During his visit to Brussels the Ukrainian President Viktor
Yanukovych has reconfirmed his country's aspirations for closer cooperation
with the European Union. During his meetings with the President of the
European Commission Jose Manuel Barroso and the President of the European
Council Herman Van Rompuy he has discussed the issues of the Visa-free Action
Plan, the Association Agreement as well as Ukraine's accession to the Energy
Charter Treaty.

The signing of the Protocol of Accession to the European
Energy Charter Treaty which is being prepared nowadays is expected on
September 24, according to the Ukrainian President, and will be an important
step towards ensuring the energy security of EU and Ukraine, whose gas
transit system is the second largest in Europe and who is the largest transit
supplier of the Russian gas to the EU countries.

As reported earlier, during the August 30 meeting with the
German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Mr Yanukovych offered Germany partnership in
the reconstruction of the Ukrainian gas transit system.

Among the other important issues on the agenda was the
Visa-free Action Plan. Ukraine waived visas for all EU citizens back in 2005
on the occasion of the Eurovision Song Contest which the country hosted that
year in Kyiv. After the Eurovision the country's officials decided to keep
the waiver on as an additional incentive for foreign tourists and
businessmen, as well as a general sign of the country's openness towards the
EU. However, the European Union's officials have not yet set a date when a
reciprocal step from EU towards Ukraine will be taken.

The landmark meeting between Mr Yanukovych and his
high-standing European counterparts is an important logical step expected to
facilitate Ukraine's EU integration process and lead to the signing of the
EU-Ukraine Association Agreement, the establishment of the EU-Ukraine
free-trade zone and the implementation of the EU-Ukraine visa-free regime.

For more information, please contact Natalya Shulevskaya
+380633776645, news at wnu-ukraine.com, Project Manager at Worldwide News Ukraine