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M. Continuo

EU trade chief says Russia did not seek Ukraine pact delay


    BRUSSELS (Reuters) - EU Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmstrom said Russian officials did not seek a postponement during three-way talks in Brussels on Monday of the January 2016 start of an EU-Ukraine free trade pact.

    Noting a joint statement agreed to after the talks by the Russian delegation as well as those of Ukraine and the European Union which said the accord "will be provisionally applied as of Jan. 1, 2016", Malmstrom said there was "no mention of delaying" the pact from the Russian side.

    Economy Minister Alexei Ulyukayev had, she said, listed numerous Russian concerns over the accord, which helped trigger the crisis between Moscow and Kiev, but the talks were held in what she called a "very constructive atmosphere".

    (Reporting by Alastair Macdonald; @macdonaldrtr)