Negotiations between the European Union, Ukraine, and Russia regarding the trade aspect of the Ukrainian-EU Association Agreement are being held in Brussels today, September 7, 2015.

Ukrainian Deputy Minister of Economic Development and Trade and Trade Representative Natalia Mykolska confirmed the scheduling of the talks.

“We are preparing for talks,” said Mykolska, in advance of the negotiations. “Meanwhile, we are considering how to compensate for the possible closure of the Russian market to Ukrainian exports through higher exports to the EU.”

At the three-way talks on May 18 ministers from each party confirmed their adherence to trade development in the region as a way to attain economic growth. They agreed to intensify efforts and instructed experts to complete a practical resolution of the problems raised by Russia, particularly in the spheres of customs cooperation and technical barriers in trade, sanitary, and phytosanitary issues.

Tripartite technical talks at the level of experts were held on June 4 and 5 and on July 7 and 8, 2015. Technical regulations, sanitary, and phytosanitary problems and customs cooperation were discussed.

Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatseniuk said in late August that the agreement on a free trade area with the EU will take effect from January 1, 2016, despite Russia’s threats to impose an embargo on Ukraine in retaliation for that development.