UNITED NATIONS, Sept. 25 (UPI) -- The European Union said Wednesday it was eager to move forward with the association agenda on the table for Ukraine later this year.
Ukraine is working to establish a closer relationship with the EU. A possible association agreement is on the agenda for a November meeting in Lithuania, which holds the rotating presidency of the EU.
European leaders met on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly meeting with Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych to discuss progress on the association agreement.
"They expressed the EU's determination in moving forward the association agenda with Ukraine in line with the country's sovereign decision," a statement from the EU said Wednesday.
Stefan Fule, the European Union's commissioner for neighborhood policy, addressed Ukrainian delegates Friday in Yalta.
"Time is not on our side but we are on a good track," he said.
The EU says it is concerned about the prosecution of opposition leaders and political progress in Ukraine. The EU said it raised issues of financial assistance during talks with Yanukovych.
