KIEV, December 7 (RIA Novosti, Taras Burnos) - The United States may soon grant Ukraine the status of a market economy country, U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said Wednesday after meeting Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko.
Rice, who arrived in Kiev Wednesday on state business as a part of her European tour, said representatives of the U.S. Department of Trade would visit Ukraine in the near future to continue talks on granting market economy status to the country.
Rice said she hoped the issue would be settled quickly and successfully.
Yushchenko said earlier the process would take about one to two months to complete.
After Wednesday's meeting the Ukrainian president called for a speed up in trade and economic cooperation between the two countries.
"The good dynamics of trade relations will gain force after we sign a bilateral protocol with the United States on the mutual access to markets of goods and services," he said.
Yushchenko also said he and Rice touched on Ukraine's accession to the WTO, positively evaluating its progress.
The European Union already awarded Ukraine market economy status at a summit on December 1, a move that should significantly broaden trade ties.
