Ukraine ready to discuss EU trade deal with Russia: PM

Kiev, June 25 (IANS) Kiev is ready to start consultations with Russia over the impact of the Ukraine-European Union (EU) trade deal on bilateral economic relations, Prime Minister Arseny Yatsenyuk said here Wednesday.

"Ukraine is ready to hold public technical consultations on implementation of the agreement. We hope Russia will unveil all risks it may face," Yatsenyuk told a cabinet meeting.

Yatsenyuk voiced his hope that the Association Agreement with the EU would not harm Ukraine's economic and trade relations with Russia and other members of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), Xinhua reported.

He urged all CIS countries to further fulfill their obligations under the agreement on the free trade area within the ex-Soviet states.

The prime ministers of all CIS countries, except Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan, signed the agreement on free trade Oct 18, 2011.

Ukraine and the EU are scheduled to sign economic chapters of the comprehensive Association Agreement June 27, which would remove tariffs on around 90 percent of the goods traded between the two sides.