Minister: EU rejects idea of revising draft association pact with Ukraine

The European Union accepts neither a proposal for revising its draft association agreement with Ukraine, which has been initialed by Kyiv, nor a proposal for getting Russia involved in discussing the proposed deal, though the EU is determined to seek closer bilateral ties with Russia, according to the Lithuanian foreign minister.

"We have said repeatedly that new negotiations on the agreement are out of the question, just as are trilateral consultations with the participation of Russia," Linas Linkevicius, who is visiting Kyiv, told Interfax. Lithuania currently holds the rotating presidency of the EU.

"We stress that there will be a dialogue with Russia. We put high value on our economic and political partnership with Russia, we are willing to discuss all important issues, but we cannot see any third nation taking part in negotiations on the association agreement between Ukraine and the EU," Linkevicius said.