MOSCOW, September 16 (RAPSI) – President Petro Poroshenko signed a law on Ukraine’s association with the EU immediately after the Verkhovna Rada ratified the document, RIA Novosti announced on Tuesday.

The association agreement, which Ukraine signed with the EU on June 27, aims to promote bilateral cooperation, adjust Ukrainian legislation to the EU requirements and open the European market to Ukrainian products.

Following the ministerial meting of Russia, the European Commission and Ukraine, which ended in Brussels on September 12, the sides agreed to postpone the application of a deep and comprehensive free trade agreement between the EU and Ukraine until December 31, 2015.

The EU has extended unilateral trade benefits to Ukraine, originally due to end in November, until the end of next year because of Ukraine’s “very difficult economic situation.” The DCFTA, which stipulates the duty-free export of European goods to Ukraine, will only become effective in December 2015.