KIEV, March 18 – The signature of the economic part of the Association Agreement between Ukraine and the EU has been postponed to avoid negative consequences for the industrial regions in the east of the country, Prime Minister Arseniy Yatseniuk said.

"The political chapter of the Association Agreement with the EU is to be signed in Brussels on March 21. We have currently postponed the signing of the economic chapter of this document, taking into account the experiences and concerns whether a free trade area [with the EU] could lead to negative consequences for industrial regions, primarily the east. We will hold additional consultations on this issue," he said in his address to the residents of Ukraine's southern and eastern regions.