Poland`s prime minister said Friday he would unveil proposals in June drawing Ukraine closer to the EU, putting the process on a par with forging closer ties with Mediterranean countries as demanded by France, according to AP.
Donald Tusk said he got support from German Chancellor Angela Merkel for his efforts to engage Poland`s large eastern neighbor and trade partner «If Europe indeed wants a more intense cooperation with its neighbors, we understand it should also include our eastern border and eastern neighbors,» Tusk told journalists at a summit of EU leaders.
He said he would unveil his plan at the EU`s summit in June.
Ukraine has been keen to forge closer ties with the EU its largest trading partner and consumer of oil and gas supplies going through the former Soviet state`s territory but is yet to get the nod to start negotiations on possible membership in the union.
French President Nicolas Sarkozy said earlier Friday he won «unanimous» backing for his plan for tighter political ties with Europe`s North African and Middle East neighbors on the Mediterranean Sea.
The specific details of the plan will still have to be worked out by June, other leaders said.
The project would involve 39 partners the 27-nation EU plus a dozen on the Mediterranean`s southern shores, from Mauritania to Algeria, Egypt, Israel, the Palestinian Authority to Syria and Turkey.
Before agreeing to the plan, Merkel had led widespread concerns over earlier drafts of Sarkozy`s proposal, which limited membership of the so-called Union of the Mediterranean to the EU`s southern states _ France, Italy, Spain, Portugal and Greece while the forum would benefit from the EU`s overall funds.
