The EU signatories included President of the European Council Herman Van Rompuy, President of the European Commission Jose Manuel Barroso, and all leaders or prime-ministers of EU member-states. President Petro Poroshenko signed the Agreement on behalf of Ukraine.
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The purpose of the AA is to deepen political and economic integration of Ukraine with the EU and to establish deep and comprehensive Free Trade Area. Thus, the FTA can come into effect on November 1 provided that the Verkhovna Rada ratifies this by the end of the summer session.
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Otherwise, the EU has warned Ukraine that it could cancel part of economic privileges.
Initially, Ukraine and the EU planned to sign the Association Agreement at the Eastern Partnership Summit in Vilnius on November 29, 2013. However, a week before that date, the Ukrainian Government then headed by Mykola Azarov suspended Ukraine’s European integration. This stirred mass protests that kicked off in Kyiv, then spread all over Ukraine.
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In February, after dozens of protesters were shot dead, ex-president Viktor Yanukovych fled Ukraine, while the Parliament approved the new Cabinet of Ministers which resumed Ukraine's European integration.
On March 21, Premier Arseniy Yatseniuk signed the political part of the Association Agreement in Brussels.
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