KIEV
European integration is still a priority for Ukraine, the country's Prime Minister Mykola Azarov said on Sunday.
“We have been told the doors to the EU are open to us, as well as those of the Customs Union," he said during a late-night interview on Ukrainian TV, referring to the union of ex-Soviet nations which Russia wants Ukraine to join.
"It is very good that we can choose and we have chosen European integration,” he added.
Referencing Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovich's visit to Moscow scheduled for December 17, Azarov stated, "No documents will be signed in relation to the country joining the Customs Union during the interstate commission meeting on December 17."
Stressing that any agreement must be be approved by Ukraine's cabinet before being signed, he added, "right now there are no documents that directly or indirectly have any relation to the Customs Union."
The unrest and ongoing protests in Ukraine were triggered in November when President Yanukovych refused to sign the "Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Agreement" (DCFTA) offered by the EU.
DCFTA was meant to serve as a springboard for Ukraine becoming closer to the 28-member bloc, with the possibility of full membership in the future.
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