Nemyria, a political scientist who is a visiting professor at many Western universities, said his country is prioritising the "quality" of its accession process rather than the pace of negotiations. He said 2020 had been mentioned as a possible accession date.
In the shorter term, the Ukrainian authorities are focusing their efforts on negotiating a free trade agreement with Europe, Nemyria said, a long process which requires transition periods for "the most sensitive sectors" of the country's economy.
He also stressed the importance Ukraine attaches to achieving a visa-free regime with the EU, describing this goal as "ambitious but realistic". He insisted that his country has a well-educated and qualified population.
"It is no secret that each leading European research institution employs Ukrainian scientists and programmers. Our scholars make significant contributions to the areas of aerospace, genetics and biotechnology," he claimed.
Regarding the upcoming presidential elections in Ukraine, which are scheduled for 17 January 2010, Nemyria said he hoped the poll would be held in accordance with international standards, and that it would provide "more evidence that Ukraine corresponds to the political criteria of [EU] candidate countries".
The elections should pave the way for the "acceleration of necessary reforms" in Ukraine, Nemyria indicated, responding to calls by leading experts for constitutional reform in the former Soviet country (EurActiv 29/05/09).
Commenting on the EU's recent 'Eastern Partnership' initiative - which covers Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine (EurActiv 08/05/09) - Nemyria said his country welcomed the multilateral dimension which the initiative brought to existing relations.
He further said Ukraine had made headway in reaching agreement over its land borders with Russia, and is now engaged in a "normal working process" with Moscow to define sea borders as well. Kiev wants Ukrainians and Russians to be able to visit each other without visa barriers, Nemyria stressed.
