European Commissioner Fule wants to discuss free trade between the Customs Union and the EU

Stefan Fule suggests “raising the stakes in the game” and start a dialog on creation a free trade zone between the EU and the Customs Union.

These days Kiev hosts the 11th Yalta European Strategy meeting. At the meeting European Commissioner for Enlargement and European Neighborhood Policy Stefan Fule stated that it is time for the European Union (EU) to establish official contacts with the Eurasian Union and start negotiations on the establishment of a free trade zone between the EU and the Customs Union.

 “We need a consistent policy towards Russia. It is time to stop hiding behind slogans such as “free economic zone from Lisbon to Vladivostok”. We should bring content to this notion. I believe we should increase the stake,” UNIAN quotes Fule saying.

In his turn, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko said that Kiev must be “flexible enough” in negotiations on a free trade area with the EU to save relations with Russia, ITAR-TASS informs.

“The issues of a full-scale free trade area and an association (with the EU) are now more important for Russia than the issue of peace, that is why we must be flexible enough in our free-trade area negotiations,” Poroshenko said.

The negotiations between Russia and Ukraine will take place in Brussels on September 13.