Ukrainian border guards run to take their positions during training at a military camp in the village of Alekseyevka on the Ukrainian-Russian border, eastern Ukraine, Friday. Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed legislation approved by parliament to absorb Crimea into Russia. Photo: IC

Arseniy Yatsenyuk, Ukraine's interim prime minister, on Friday signed a historic deal with the EU, seeking closer ties with the Western trading bloc, as Russia completed the legal process of formally absorbing Crimea.

"This gesture symbolizes the importance both sides attach to this relationship ... and the joint will to take it further," said Herman Van Rompuy, president of the European Council.

The EU was offering Ukraine its "steadfast support," Van Rompuy said, promising help to get the country's struggling economy back on track.

"We are sure that together we will succeed," Yatsenyuk said after the European Union's 28 heads of state and government signed their names to the deal.

The political provisions of the "EU-Ukraine Association Agreement" cover shared democratic values, improved economic ties, judicial reform and other aspects of civil society.

Europe's leaders have agreed to press ahead with signing the full accord and an accompanying free trade agreement, likely after Ukraine elections on May 25.

Meanwhile, President Vladimir Putin signed legislation on Friday that completed the process of formally absorbing Crimea into Russia after the upper house of parliament voted unanimously to ratify the incorporation treaty.

President Barack Obama blacklisted 20 Russian lawmakers and senior government officials, in addition to 11 already targeted, and warned that Russia faced international isolation if it did not reverse course.

France said Friday it has suspended the majority of its military cooperation with Russia in the wake of Moscow's takeover of Crimea.

China's foreign ministry on Friday called for restraint and calm on all sides and proposed to solve the Crimean crisis through dialogue and negotiation.

Ukraine's Ambassador to China, Oleg Dyomin, told reporters in Beijing Friday that he agreed with China's proposal and said dialogue and negotiation will help to ease tensions.

Dyomin said that the new interim government of Ukraine will guarantee the validity of deals signed between Ukraine's former government and China, which cover financial and military cooperation.

Agencies - Global Times

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