An EU agreement with the UK on relations after Brexit could serve as a model for ties with other countries that want to be as close as possible to the bloc but are not yet ready to join, such as Ukraine and Turkey, Germany’s foreign minister has said. “I can’t imagine Turkey or Ukraine becoming EU members in the next few years,” he said. An agreement between the EU and Ukraine on a “deep and comprehensive free trade area” formally came into force in September. It aims to allow free trade of goods, services and capital, and visa-free travel for people for short stays. Gabriel’s Social Democratic Party (SPD) is preparing for talks with chancellor Angela Merkel’s conservatives on governing together for another four years.

Source: The Irish Times December 26, 2017 15:22 UTC