Ukraine hopes to get observer status in Customs Union - Yanukovych
KYIV. April 5 (Interfax) - Ukraine hopes to get observer status in Customs Union and then study documents on membership, said Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych.
"Ukraine, as an observer, could start studying the Customs Union's founding documents - over 200 , in all. All of these documents will have to be put through internal approval procedures, which will take time. After getting observer status Ukraine could gain access to these documents and start studying them," Yanukovych said in talks with Kazakh Prime Minister Serik Akhmetov.
Ukraine keeps insisting that it could cooperate with the Customs Union as an observer, he said.
"We want mutually acceptable decisions to be made that would broaden our opportunities and create an environment for a free flow of our goods and services," Yanukovych said.
Such opportunities will hopefully be found soon, he said.
The global economic crisis has affected all countries, he said. "It is compelling us to seek ways of easing its aftermath. Therefore, confrontation in trade looks unnatural," he said, adding that both Ukraine and the Customs Union member-states are sustaining losses in such a situation.
"We must try and even up the trade balance between our countries and to avoid a deficit which directly affects the gold and foreign currency reserve," Yanukovych said.
"Therefore, restrictions introduced by one party make the other party retaliate," Yanukovych said.
Ukraine would like to avoid such a situation, he said.