Kiev (Ukraine), 6 Apr. (LaPresse/AP) – Ukraine will send a team to Washington next week to start negotiations on a new draft minerals agreement, which would give the United States access to Ukraine's valuable mineral resources. This was reported to the Associated Press by the Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy, Yuliia Svyrydenko, during a trip to northern Ukraine. The Kiev delegation will include representatives from the Ministries of Economy, Foreign Affairs, Justice and Finance. Svyrydenko specified that the new draft, which was circulated in recent days by some Ukrainian parliamentarians, at the moment only reflects the US position and is not a common position: ‘What we have now is a document that reflects the position of the legal team of the US Treasury. This is not a final version, it is not a common position,’ he said, emphasising that Ukraine's task now is to assemble a technical team for the negotiations, define its red lines and fundamental principles, and send a delegation to Washington for technical talks as early as next week. ‘It's clear that the full parameters of this deal cannot be discussed online,’ said Svyrydenko, ’we need to sit down with the teams and continue the conversation in person.’ Legal, financial and investment advisers are being selected, he explained: ‘This marks a new phase in relations with the United States, which requires expertise in multiple areas. In the end, everything will be decided during the negotiations.’
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