Ukraine Agrees to EU Enlargement Deal

Ukraine has agreed to extend a bilateral agreement with the EU to cover the 10 new members joining the bloc on May 1. According to Ukrainian and EU officials, the deal was provisionally signed by both sides on Tuesday. The European Commission has been demanding the automatic extension of the political and cooperation agreement, which forms the legal basis of bilateral relations, to cover the new member states. Ukraine, however, has asked for compensation for the enlargement of the EU, which it says will hurt trade. Both sides have said discussions on Ukraine's concerns will continue, while the European Commission has been playing down the link between the talks and the full endorsement of the agreement. With Russia continuing to press for concessions before signing a similar agreement, Ukraine is keen to point out its apparently cooperative stance. Kiev wants to see talks continue on steel quotas, anti-dumping and tariffs on pipe products. (EUobserver.com)