Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said that Russia warned the Ukrainian colleagues that the signing of the relevant agreement with the European Union will cause Ukraine’s direct economic impact.
MOSCOW, 29 sen. Russia intends to switch to a normal trade regime with Ukraine, said Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev at a press conference following the meeting of the Council of Ministers of the Union state.
“We actually warned our Ukrainian colleagues that the signing of the agreement with the EU would entail (for Ukraine — ed.) direct economic impact. Moreover, more than a year ago I said I signed a government decree, according to which if there are certain circumstances, namely, the direct implementation of European law on the territory of Ukraine and, accordingly, other decisions of the European Union begin to operate in the territory of Ukraine, in this case, we believe it’s necessary to apply the relevant suggestions to the agreement on the free trade zone of the Commonwealth of Independent States and to suspend preferential treatment in relation to Ukraine and visit with them on a normal trade regime”, — said Medvedev.
He noted that in international law this is called “most favoured nation”. “This is not a deficient mode, not filtering mode and not even the sanctions regime, which our partners have recently begun to implement against Russia. This while normal mode, but normal mode will have, of course, quite serious economic consequences,” — said the head of government.
“Our relations with Ukraine, they are much less likely to affect our partners. <…> I have my own relationship, Belarusians have their own relationship, their relationship. We in no way interfere in the relations of our partners with third States. To anything they do not push and do not try it on somebody this and say, let’s you do the same,” added Medvedev.
“As for the damage to mutual trade between Russia and Ukraine, he certainly will. Although we must admit that we trade is in a very mediocre state and is declining in fact several times, and if it further continues, then the trade tends to fade,” — said Medvedev.
He noted that statistics available to the Russian Federation, shows that currently the number of goods supplied by Ukraine to the EU market, has not increased, and those of the most competitive positions, such as grain and agricultural products, have been less than it was before the signing of the Association agreement of Kiev and the European Union, “because in relation to Ukraine, the EU imposed quota”, explained the head of government.
“They must choose how they live. Actually, the choice is already obvious. We anyway will try those voids that are formed in our market due to the lack of cooperation with Ukraine, to fill in due to the cooperative ties with our partners”, — concluded the Prime Minister.
