EU reluctant to sign association agreement without visible democratic progress in Ukraine

Former president of the European Parliament, ex-premier of Poland and current member of the European Parliament Jerzy Buzek (the European People's Party) has said he hopes to hear more positive news from Ukraine soon, which will allow Kyiv and Brussels to sign the association agreement.

In an exclusive interview with Interfax-Ukraine, Buzek welcomed the decision of Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych to pardon former Ukrainian ministers Yuriy Lutsenko and Heorhiy Filipchuk.

He said that after many months of tensions in the EU-Ukraine relations, it was a very encouraging signal from Ukraine and a step towards democratization in the country.

"I hope there is more such positive news to come in the next weeks," the MEP said.

In this context, Buzek expressed the hope that the Ukrainian authorities will continue addressing other cases of selective justice, such as the case of former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko.

"I hope they can prove their strong commitment to implementing reforms necessary for signing the Association Agreements at the Eastern Partnership Summit in Vilnius," he said.

The European politician assured that the EU strongly believes in Ukraine's European future and undertakes concrete actions to support Ukrainians.

He said that the European Parliament passed the law simplifying visa requirements for Ukrainians during its April plenary session in Strasbourg. He said the signing of the association agreement would be the logical next step.

"However, we certainly cannot close our eyes and compromise our values. Especially since the EU's expectations from Ukraine are not excessive…But there must be some good will in Kyiv to fulfill them. By implementing those reforms, the authorities would send a clear signal that they are ready for cooperation, ready for signing the agreement on the basis of mutual respect," the MEP said.

When asked about the mood in the EPP Group concerning the signing of the association agreement, he said that its members were divided.

"I personally believe that signing the Association Agreement should be desirable. But for the EU it is very difficult - I think even impossible - to sign the Agreement when there are no visible changes and concrete steps forward in Ukraine," he added.

The full text of the interview in Russian will be posted on the Web site of the Interfax-Ukraine news agency