Ukraine’s Prime Minister, Arseniy Yatsenuk has told journalists that his government will begin to hold talks with the European Union with regards to the country’s free trade status. 

He said that brief talks have already taken place, and quotas will be negotiated. He added that quotas must fill products that the country can compete with, in price and in quality standards.

The Ukraine is in desperate need of opening new export markets as the dynamic of the country changes. As relations with Russia sink further, it is aiming to close its ties with Europe.

Earlier in the month, the country signed an open skies deal with the United States. More recently a free trade agreement was signed with Canada. Canadian Prime Minister, Stephen Harper stated that the agreement was “a milestone in the important relationship between the two countries.”

The Ukraine recently suffered a setback in its hope for free trade, when the European Union said it will delay the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Agreement (DCFTA) with the Ukraine to 2016.

Despite this, the Kremlin has tried to push the agreement further ahead. It opposes European efforts to integrate Ukraine, pushing it away from Russia.