The reference to Ukraine's European perspective in the conclusions issued on 10 February 2013 by the European Union's foreign ministers is appropriate, Hungarian Foreign Minister János Martonyi declared.

"I believe Ukraine's European perspective is evident. So had we left it out of our conclusions, that would have raised concerns," the Hungarian Foreign Minister stated. The EU foreign ministers' statement on Monday tacitly referred to Ukraine's European perspective by stating that the as yet unsigned association agreement, which also involves an in-depth and comprehensive free trade agreement, is not the final objective of EU-Ukraine cooperation.

János Martonyi explained that the reason for the declaration having included compromise phrasing was that the EU countries are not in full agreement about whether it is advisable to promise Eastern Partnership countries future membership.

„A new and inclusive government, constitutional reform bringing back more balance of powers, and preparations for free and fair presidential elections would contribute to bringing Ukraine back onto a sustainable path of reforms. The EU stands ready to provide expert support in all areas deemed useful and encourages Ukraine also to draw on the expertise of international organisations such as the Council of Europe, the OSCE and the United Nations,” – stated the conclusions of the foreign ministers’ meeting yesterday.

The declaration also stated that the EU is ready to further pursue its efforts with the international community and international financial institutions to assist Ukraine, in line with well-established conditions, to find a sustainable way out of its difficult economic situation. Commenting on this statement about providing financial assistance to Ukraine, the Hungarian Foreign Minister said this would mostly come from the International Monetary Fund.

The foreign ministers also agreed that it is currently not necessary to introduce sanctions against Ukrainian officials responsible for the recent acts of violence but the declaration states that the EU is "ready to react quickly if there is a deterioration of the situation," János Martonyi added.
The Hungarian Foreign Minister said that there was a separate meeting for the 17-member grouping called the "Friends of Moldova". During the meeting, János Martonyi pointed out that an "independent, multinational and multi-lingual Moldova with strong statehood and restored territorial integrity" was a common interest for the entire EU.

(Ministry of Foreign Affairs)