KIEV, November 16 (RIA Novosti) - Ukraine could create a free trade area with the European Union in three years and join the EU by 2015, the Ukrainian foreign minister said Wednesday.
Borys Tarasyuk said Ukraine was expected to conclude a new bilateral agreement with the EU in three years to stipulate the prospect of its membership in the organization.
"Therefore, Ukraine will get the status of a EU candidate country, to last until about 2015. After that, Ukraine could become an EU member state," Tarasyuk said.
In February 2005, Ukraine signed a three-year action plan with the EU to bring its standards closer to those of the European Union.
