Ministers to discuss EU-Ukrainian association's consequences for Russia in Brussels on September 7

"Trilateral talks will continue. The joint expert report will be the basis for a trilateral meeting at the ministerial level in Brussels scheduled for the 7th of September," the statement reads. Trilateral technical talks were held at expert level in June and July, the agency said. Three areas were discussed: technical regulations, sanitary and phytosanitary issues, and customs cooperation. The aim of these negotiations is to ensure further progress in practical decisions regarding Russia's concerns over the implementation of the EU-Ukraine free trade agreement, the European Commission said. "Whilst the joint expert report still contains divergent positions, some progress was made especially in the areas of technical regulations and customs, although difficulties remain in the so called sanitary and phytosanitary field," the communiqué reads.