Ukraine's decision to suspend preparations for signing agreement with EU tactical, strategy of integration into EU unchanged, says Azarov

Ukrainian Prime Minister Mykola Azarov has said that the government's decision to take a pause in the country's preparation for the signing of an Association Agreement with the EU is tactical, it is caused by the current economic situation in the country.

"The decision to suspend the signing of the Association Agreement with the EU was difficult, but it is the only possible option given the economic situation in which Ukraine has found itself," he said in parliament on Friday.

"This decision was prompted solely by economic reasons, we are not changing the strategic course of Ukraine, which is laid down by the law on the principles of domestic and foreign policy," he said.

The government and President Viktor Yanukovych will continue to cooperate with strategic partners and to implement reforms as part of Ukraine's planned integration into Europe, Azarov said.