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“Ukraine should modernize to be part of the European economy”, Carl Bildt, foreign minister of Sweden
On a special Ukraine elections event in Davos, Carl Bildt, Foreign Minister of Sweden expresses to euronews' reporter Constantino de Miguel his views on the current democratic process in the country. He also comments on the European response to Haiti.
What can the European Union do to improve the situation of the Ukraine both politically and economically?
"To the long term a lot. What we have on the table is a free trade agreement which is more than free trade: it's a lot of regulatory harmonization between the Ukraine and the European Union, that will have a substantial effect overtime in modernizing the economy and making it part of the European economy"
Do you think the Ukraine will ever be a member state of the European Union?
"Ever? I don't know. That's their aspiration I think if it continues it might happen. It's not gonna happen short term obviously, so we have to take one step at a time and now there is a deep and comprehensive trade agreement is really what we are aiming at. I think it should be completed within a year or something like that."
How will you evaluate the European response to Haiti's humanitarian emergency?
"I think we have done reasonably well. The problem with Haiti is the weak structures of the Haitian state from the beginning and then the logistical problem of accessing with the port destroyed and the airport very limited. I think we are over that and we are now focusing on the long term which is really gonna be long term: fundamental
reconstruction of the country."
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