Ukraine, Israel at final stage of free trade talks

"Israel's market is a focus of special attention of Ukraine's export strategy. During the talks, we made significant efforts to accelerate the conclusion of a free trade agreement to deepen economic relations with the country. We held an intensive round of talks with the Israeli side, during which the most important issues related to the liberalization of commodity markets were considered, while the relevant provisions of the draft agreement were agreed," Mykolska said.

According to the official, the agreement with Israel should create new opportunities for Ukrainian exporters. That is why Ukraine aims to ensure that goods that make up the country's export potential and are competitive in the Israeli market enjoy duty-free access. In particular, considering the future accession of Ukraine to the pan-Euro-Mediterranean regional convention, which Israel is a signatory to, Ukrainian products will become part of global value chains, she noted.

Read alsoUkraine, Israel report progress at sixth round of free trade talksIn the cause of the final round of talks, the parties reached a preliminary agreement on the level of liberalization of industrial goods markets, the press service said.

As UNIAN reported, Ukrainian Prime Minister Volodymyr Groysman stated earlier that Ukraine was interested in completing the talks on Ukraine-Israel FTA agreement before the end of 2017.

According to the Economic Development Ministry, staples of Ukrainian exports to Israel are cereals (44.1%), ferrous metals (26.4%), and foodstuffs (9.8%), while Ukrainian major imports from Israel include petrochemical products (41.4%), chemical products (17.4%), as well as plastics and polymeric materials (7.1%).