Ukraine given deadline to pass bills to enter EU integration

The European Parliament's monitoring mission on Wednesday set the deadline for Ukraine to pass the legislation needed to sign the partnership deals with the European Union. "November 19 is the final date by which all the work needs to be done," Aleksander Kwasniewski, head of the monitoring mission of the European Parliament, said at a news briefing here. Kwasniewski voiced his hope that Kiev, the national capital of Ukraine, would be able to overcome its challenges within the time frame on its way toward closer ties with the 28-member EU. The conviction of former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko still remains a key stumbling block for Ukraine to sign the political deals and a free trade pact with the EU at the Eastern Partnership Summit slated to be held in Vilnius, capital of Lithuania, on Nov. 28-29. As a compromise solution, the European parliamentary mission suggested Kiev approve a law which would allow Tymoshenko to travel to Germany for medical treatment. Apart from resolving the issue concerning Tymoshenko, the European parliamentary mission also asked Ukraine to pass bills on reforming judiciary, prosecutorial and law-enforcement bodies and on lifting protective duties on imported vehicles.