The European Union's top officials on Monday hailed the stability that the election of President Viktor Yanukovych has brought Ukraine, as the president promised to guarantee gas supplies and move his country closer to Europe. Yanukovych is seen as strongly pro-Russian and has been accused of heading a crackdown on civil society and the media, according to dpa. But his February election ended years of internal squabbling and rows with Russia. "Ukraine is seeing a period of political stability, based on a strong parliamentary majority. This enables Ukraine to move forward with important reforms," the president of the council of EU member states, Herman Van Rompuy, said after talks with Yanukovych. Yanukovych vowed after meeting later the same day with European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso that he would use that stability and his good relations with Russia to make sure the EU is never again cut off from Russian gas, as it was in 2006 and 2009. "This will never happen again in Ukraine's history and its relations with the EU and Russia," he said. Yanukovych was inaugurated at the end of February and made his first visit to the EU's headquarters just days later, in what was seen as a bid to counter perceptions that he is pro-Russian. His Monday meeting with Van Rompuy was the third in six months. "With EU support, a set of systemic reforms should be carried out inside Ukraine and it is these reforms that should allow Ukraine to get a faster integration track with the EU," Yanukovych said. However, Ukraine's EU integration should remain "gradual" and its process "should be one of compromises and mutual concessions," he stressed. Yanukovych, Van Rompuy and Barroso are set to meet at an EU- Ukraine summit on November 22 and hope to announce progress on free- trade talks and a plan for eventual visa liberalization. "A more dynamic Ukrainian economy is in our mutual interest. We agree to speed up negotiations and conclude the (free-trade) agreement rapidly. Nonetheless, there are still some major issues to be tackled here, in particular trade aspects such as tariffs," Barroso pointed out. Monday's visit was overshadowed by allegations from Ukraine that the country's security services have begun to crack down on non- governmental organisations and the media. While praising Yanukovych's commitment to EU integration, Van Rompuy stressed "the importance of guaranteeing the independence of the judiciary and the freedom of the media," and said that local elections on October 31 "should demonstrate that Ukraine's tradition of good elections, in line with international standards, continues." Barroso also called on Ukraine to "ensure full respect" of human rights and democratic freedoms, "in particular the freedom of the media (and) the independence of the judiciary." Yanukovych and Barroso published a joint statement emphasizing "the vital role of a free media and an independent judiciary." Yanukovych then presented Barroso with a football, as a sign of Ukraine's role as co-host of the Euro 2012 football championship.
