KYIV. Dec 17 (Interfax) - A Ukrainian deputy foreign minister confirmed on Monday that Ukraine and the European Union remain in talks on the planned association agreement between them, a deal Kyiv decided to put on hold last month.
"The agreement has not been signed but negotiations are continuing, I confirm this," Andriy Olefirov told a briefing in Kyiv.
He mentioned a recent visit of a Ukrainian high-level delegation to Brussels during which the planned accord was discussed.
EU ambassador to Ukraine, Jan Tombinski, argued that the ball was in Ukraine's court as it was Kyiv's choice to put off the deal. He said the Ukrainian government had made no other decision so far.
He added that, during a recent visit to Brussels, a Ukrainian delegation led by Deputy Prime Minister Serhiy Arbuzov discussed with its EU hosts what kind of economic assistance the EU would be able to give Ukraine if the latter signed the agreement.