Progress towards an Association Agreement between the EU and Ukraine and cooperation on key reforms will be top of the agenda during a bilateral summit in Ukraine on 19 December.

The EU values its relationship with Ukraine. And it views the Association Agreement as the best way to offer Ukrainian citizens a future based on European values and standards as well as on political association and economic integration.

Negotiations on the agreement began in 2007, and are very close to finalisation. Talks on a Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area (DCFTA) – a key part of the Association Agreement – have already been completed, with only a few final technical points left to clarify. Once in place, the DCFTA is set to increase trade between the EU and Ukraine – Ukraine is currently the EU’s 23rd trading partner, importing goods and services worth €17 335 million in 2010.

The EU would now like to see more progress on a number of key reforms in Ukraine, including political and economic reform, and in particular respect for human rights, democratic principles, fundamental freedoms and the independence of judiciary.

The summit will also be an opportunity to review progress towards a visa-free travel regime, and to discuss regional issues such as relations with Russia, Moldova and the recent Transnistria settlement, events in Belarus, and the EU’s Eastern Partnership.

The EU will be represented by President of the European Council Herman Van Rompuy, President of the European Commission José Manuel Barroso and EU Enlargement and European Neighbourhood Policy Commissioner Stefan Füle.

• EU relations with Ukraine
• EU Delegation in Ukraine
• Key documents on EU-Ukraine relations