THE IRISH TIMES (Reuters/PA First published: Fri, Jun 27, 2014, 09:36)
Georgia, Moldova sign similar agreements as Russia warns of ‘grave consqeuences
Ukraine signed a historic free-trade and political cooperation agreement with the European Union today that has been at the heart of the country’s political crisis, drawing an immediate threat of “grave consequences” from Russia.
Ex-USSR states Georgia and Moldova
signed similar deals, which fall short of full EU membership but hold
out the prospect of deep economic integration and unfettered access to
the EU’s 500 million citizens. It signals a turning away from Russia and
moving closer to the West.
“Over the last months, Ukraine paid the highest possible price to make her European dreams come true,” Ukrainian president Petro Poroshenko told EU leaders at a signing ceremony in Brussels.
