Van Rompuy: Ukraine visa-free status to be taken up by EU this year

Agreements that will help pave the way for Ukraine to achieve a visa-free status with the European Union are on track to be signed later this year, EU President Herman Van Rompuy said Friday during a visit to the Ukrainian capital Kiev, local media reported.

The agreements will be taken up at the EU summit in November, the Ukrinform news agency quoted Van Rompuy as saying, dpa reported.

But Van Rompuy noted that Ukraine still needs to make progress in the area of trade. The Eastern European country also hopes to establish a free-trade zone with the bloc.

"We are interested that it is really a free trade agreement, so that Ukraine does not face a variety of restrictive quotas, as is happening now," Ukrainian Prime Minister Mykola Azarov was quoted as saying.

Azarov also called on the EU to have a hand in the modernization of his country's gas transit system.

Russia is the EU's main gas supplier, and 80 per cent of the fuel flows through Ukraine.