OREANDA-NEWS. November 20, 2007. Members of the international network Yalta European Strategy (YES), which was established by Ukrainian businessman and public figure Viktor Pinchuk, met in Brussels with EU Commissioner for External Trade Peter Mandelson, the press service of the Viktor Pinchuk Foundation reported, reported the Official website www.kmu.gov.ua.

During the meeting members of the YES Board Steven Byers (Great Britain), Marek Siwiec (Poland), Jean-Pierre Saltiel (France), Mario David (Portugal) and Viktor Pinchuk (Ukraine) discussed with Peter Mandelson prospects for creating a deep free trade area (DFTA) between Ukraine and the EU, A necessary condition for DFTA is Ukraine's accession to the WTO.

Ukraine has to settle yet 1-2 issues, Mr Mandelson said. It is quite real that Ukraine can complete all the necessary WTO membership procedures by the 2007 close and will become a WTO member in 2008. As soon as a positive decision is passed in Geneva, we can proceed to creating DFTA, not even waiting for WTO accession ratification, he said.

According to the EU Commissioner, European pols are waiting for Ukraine's practical steps, he said political leaders must clearly determine their stance and act promptly. He promised the EU's comprehensive support in creating DFTA with Ukraine.

YES is an independent international organization, established in 2004, which brings together high-level participants in Ukraine and internationally: policy-makers, business leaders, thinkers, researchers and journalists to promote the development of a just, free and prosperous Ukraine, to open the country to the rest of the world and to support Ukraine's membership to the European Union.