Ukraine To Join Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement

Ukraine intends to join the Agreement on the Trans-Pacific Partnership, which provides for a free trade area (duty-free trade) in the Asia-Pacific region. This is stated in Presidential decree No. 80 of May 1, Ukrainian News Agency reports.

In particular, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy formed a delegation to participate in the negotiations on Ukraine's accession to the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement, headed by First Vice Prime Minister - Minister of Economy Yuliya Svyrydenko.

Zelenskyy approved the directives of the delegation to participate in the negotiations and authorized Svyrydenko to sign the request for Ukraine's accession to the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement.

The Trans-Pacific Partnership is an international trade and economic organization whose goal is to create a free trade zone in the Asia-Pacific region.

After the U.S. announced its withdrawal from the agreement in January 2017, 11 countries became its signatories: Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore and Vietnam.

As Ukrainian News Agency earlier reported, Ukraine and Canada plan to sign an updated Free Trade Agreement.