OREANDA-NEWS.  July 09, 2013. The integration process between Ukraine and the European Union can and must be simultaneous with the development of strategic partnership with Russia and other members of the Customs Union. Prime Minister of Ukraine Mykola Azarov emphasized in an interview with the French edition “Le nouvel Economiste”.

The Head of Government stressed that Ukraine was not on the intersection of the two alternative roads concerning cooperation with the EU and the Customs Union, but “has only one way: our national interests”.

Mykola Azarov emphasized that the Association Agreement between Ukraine and the European Union appears “a unique document useful in the practical plane both for Ukraine and the EU, which ensures also creation of a large free trade area”.

According to him, the Agreement is a huge instrument in the scale, which taking into account its extent, target and social-economic consequences including all cooperation areas, opens to Ukraine the way to further progressive development. The Premier added this instrument can serve as a strategic test of system reforms in Ukraine, realization of which will afford to launch EU standards.

“In this connection we do not have to choose between the EU and the Customs Union (Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan),” he stressed.

At the same time, Mykola Azarov added that all the documents concluded with the Customs Union did not diminish legal capacity of Ukraine from the point of view of the international law: “They are supplements to the national legislation and accordingly cannot be the barrier on the way of implementation (by Ukraine) of liabilities assumed in the frames of the WTO and also of creation of a deepened and universal free trade zone between Ukraine and the EU. At this, the integration process of Ukraine and the EU can and must take place simultaneously with the development of strategic partnership with Russia and other members of the Customs Union”.

Mykola Azarov informed that on the outcomes of 2012 Ukraine had had more than 36% of foreign trade turnover with member countries of the Customs Union, which had amounted USD 63 bln.

“We receive from these countries the largest amount of energy resources and raw materials to ensure functioning of the economy. We cannot ignore this fact. Besides, the Customs Union appears the principal consumer of Ukrainian goods – for instance, pipes. If the European Union approves a decision to develop their oil and gas sector by purchasing over 2 million tons of our pipes, we can just welcome that,” Mykola Azarov highlighted.