Free Trade Agreements - Ukraine

Turkey looks set to be the next Free Trade Agreement negotiated and signed by the current Ukrainian government - quite possibly by the end of 2012.

Quite rightly too.  If there is a star economic performer in the Black Sea region over the past few years to date, it most certainly is Turkey.

In all probability, despite a few bumps in the road that undoubtedly remain ahead, a Free Trade Agreement will become a functioning reality for Ukraine with regards to the CIS nations sometime next year as well.

Add to that the DCFTA with the EU that has been negotiated and initialed, effectively putting a seal on the contents of said agreement, regardless of when that will eventually be actioned, and for all the massive failings of the current government in many policy areas, the negotiations for market expansion in the immediate Ukrainian neighbourhood is something of a success story.

Please note that I say the successful completion of negotiations rather than successful implementation - as yet nothing of note has been implemented.  Nevertheless, such negotiations are always tricky and credit must be given, no matter how begrudgingly, to their successful conclusion and bilateral agreement - signed and ratified or not.

In fact, the FTAs that have been successfully negotiated match very neatly the geopolitical and economic area that is the BSEC.  Something that I suggested would be a reasonable plan almost a year ago and indeed should be looked out for on the horizon.

It seems that horizon is not so distant.  At least as far as the finalising of negotiations are concerned.