In a statement issued after a meeting of EU foreign ministers, Linkevičius said that pardon to former Ukrainian Minister of Interior Affairs Yuriy Lutsenko was a long-expected and very important step showing that Ukraine was ready to strengthen its European choice and sign an Association Agreement with the EU.
"Ukraine has made quite a lot of progress, but Europe expects from Kiev further steps, including key reforms," the Lithuanian foreign minister said in the statement.
Linkevičius expressed hope that the visit of the Dutch, Polish, Danish, and Lithuanian foreign ministers to Kiev, scheduled for April 25, would help raise awareness of Ukraine's aspirations in the EU and would become a great opportunity to encourage Ukraine to continue reforms for the Association Agreement to be signed at the EU Eastern Partnership summit in Vilnius on November 28-29.
Linkevičius also underlined that talks on Association Agreements with Armenia, Georgia, and Moldova were in essence finalized in March, and also expressed hope that talks on free trade should also be concluded soon. The minister also called on the EU to find ways to evaluate ambitious European aspirations of eastern partners, Moldova and Georgia, in the Association Agreements.
"Moldova and Georgia are reform leaders. The path they chose is clear and aspirations are big," Linkevičius said.
EU foreign ministers also discussed relations with Belarus, welcomed the decision to restore representation of Sweden in Minsk, and also expressed hope of more steps aimed at normalizing relations with the EU ahead of the Eastern Partnership summit in Vilnius.
