The Additional Protocol to the Partnership and Cooperation Agreement with Ukraine, following the latest enlargement of the European Union, was signed at Ambassadorial level today.

The Protocol will enable Austria, Finland and Sweden to become parties to the Agreement signed in Luxembourg on 14 June 1994, at which time they were not yet members.

In speeches during the signing ceremony, the Chairman of the Permanent Representatives Committee, the Representative of the Commission and the Ukrainian Ambassador,

Mr I. MITIUKOV ⁽⁾, emphasized the importance the parties attached to consolidating and developing the political and economic relations existing between them. With this aim in view, they expressed the wish to see the ratification procedures completed as quickly as possible to allow entry into force of the Partnership Agreement by the end of the year.