European integration is a key strategy for Ukraine, the way of developing an independent and democratic European state, and a stimulus to holding domestic reforms, Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko said at a tete-a-tete meeting with European Parliament President Jerzy Buzek in Kyiv on Monday.

Yushchenko highlighted the results of the Ukraine-EU summit in Kyiv on December 4 and the course of talks on an agreement of association between Ukraine and the European Union. “We have resolved 95% of issues in the political part of the agreement,” he said.

Yushchenko also praised the further simplification of a visa regime by the EU for Ukrainian citizens, the development of a visa-free dialogue between Ukraine and the EU, Ukraine's integration with the European education space, and cooperation in the energy sector, in particular, based on the Brussels declaration on modernizing Ukraine's gas transit system.

Yushchenko stressed the importance of Ukraine's cooperation with the European Parliament (EP) and called on a mission of EP representatives to take an active part in monitoring the presidential election in Ukraine. “It's very important that the mission of observers from the European Parliament is active as much as possible during the election,” he said.