Kiev, Sep 17 (IANS): The Ukrainian government has approved a plan to implement the Association Agreement with the European Union (EU), Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseny Yatsenyuk said Wednesday.

"The agreement must be fully implemented by 2017," Yatsenyuk told a cabinet meeting.

Ukraine would make every effort to fulfill the requirements of the deal and would carry out a number of reforms to bring its economy and legislation closer to European standards, Xinhua cited Yatsenyuk as saying.

During the transition period, Ukraine would focus on developing its economic relations with the EU, while maintaining stable trade partnerships with other countries, Yatsenyuk said.

"The free trade with our eastern neighbours has to remain at the present level," he added.

Yatsenyuk said his country expected to reap big benefits from the temporary trade preferences, which would open the EU market to Ukraine unilaterally.

The Ukrainian parliament and the European parliament simultaneously ratified the Association Agreement Tuesday, which includes a comprehensive free trade deal.

As a concession to Russia, which fears that free trade between Ukraine and the EU would allow European products to flood Russia via Ukraine, the EU and Ukraine have agreed to delay the implementation of the free trade part of the deal until the end of next year.

As a temporary arrangement, the EU will unilaterally abolish custom duties on Ukrainian goods to support the weak economy of the country.