Viktor Yanukovych: “Ukraine will join the Customs Union if it meets our national interests”.

The possibility that Ukraine joins the Customs Union will depend on the progress achieved by this association.

The possibility that Ukraine joins the Customs Union will depend on the progress achieved by this association.

This very statement was made by President of Ukraine Viktor Yanukovych in Kirovograd on January 31^st.

Answering journalists' questions about the Customs Union during the press conference, the Ukrainian President said: “There is still no answer to this question. We do not yet know the results of the Customs Union’s work, at least economic ones. We'll examine how the Customs Union will work, what preferences and benefits it will offer, and how Ukraine can join – so that it would be beneficial – the Customs Union” (RIA “Novosti”, 01.02.2012).

“If it meets our national interests, then we will consider this issue,” he added.

We would remind you that at the press conference in January Prime Minister of Ukraine Mykola Azarov said that Ukraine did not rule out the possibility of joining the Customs Union and at that time they were monitoring the performance of the latter.

It should be noted that Moscow has been welcoming Kyiv into the Customs Union long since. However, Ukraine previously stated that it didn’t intend to join the Customs Union, offering, instead, to cooperate as “three plus one” which, however, does not suit Russia. At the same time Ukraine was hoping to initial an Association Agreement with the EU by the end of 2011, part of which is the clause on free trade area (FTA). Initialling of the document was postponed to a later date: the parties have not reached mutual consent.