Former Ukrainian minister says EU is destroying country's economy
Former Minister of Economy of Ukraine Viktor Suslov told the TV channel "112 Ukraine" that, after signing the association agreement with the European Union, Kiev agreed to conditions that it knew would bring the country losses.
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| Photo: Reuters |
According to him, the main part of the agreement is the establishment of a free trade area (FTA), however, the EU has introduced quotas on Ukrainian products by limiting imports of goods from the country.
Mr. Suslov also noted that Ukraine's economy cannot compete with Europe's, however, Kiev has agreed to cooperate on technical terms and standards adopted in the European Union.
“That means European products come to us automatically, without quality control, while Ukrainian products must be certified to comply with EU standards. Therefore, this agreement has been unfair, disadvantageous and discriminatory since its signing,” the former minister asserted.
In addition, he added that Ukraine has a large trade deficit. The structure of trade shows that from the EU side, finished products enter Ukraine, while from Ukraine to Europe there is almost only a flow of raw materials. Specifically, he cited the example of large-scale logging to supply Europe.
“The consequence of this wrong strategic decision is that our economy and industry are dying,” Suslov stressed.
