BRUSSELS, July 22 - EU foreign ministers have agreed that a new pact to be signed with Ukraine should be called an “association” agreement, officials said Tuesday.

The Ukrainian government has repeatedly said that it wants a membership perspective and the possibility of a visa-free dialogue written into the preamble for any new agreement.

Announcing the decision, EU external relations chief Benita Ferrero-Waldner said 'association' goes beyond the current partnership agreement but does not “prejudge the future”, adding that the EU will give “all chances” to Ukraine’s European aspirations.

“Ukraine has a lot to do to stabilize national politics,” she said quoted by TheParliament.com, a European politics online magazine. “There are frictions between the president and the prime minister.”

She added that while the EU is not opposed to opening a dialogue on visa-free travel with Ukraine, it will not be part of the new agreement, but can operate “in parallel” with talks on the pact.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Volodymyr Ohryzko said the agreement was the first, but important step for Ukraine on the way towards the E.U.

Ohryzko said the contents of the new agreement is not clear as yet, because the economic section of the agreement has not been finished - the talks on free trade have just started.

“As for other directions, we clearly realize – it will be a real agreement on association between Ukraine and EU,” Ohryzko said.

Ohryzko said there were many important issues to be discussed between Ukraine and the EU, and insisted that Kiev will keep the dialog.

“Our main task is to get a real powerful instrument for real adaptation of the interests of Ukraine and EU by the end of 2009,” Ohryzko said.

Ukrainian and EU officials are currently in their ninth round of talks on the new agreement, which will include a free trade area if Ukraine makes progress on economic and political reforms.

Ukraine’s deputy foreign minister Kostiantyn Yelisieiev said last week that the European neighborhood policy, the current framework governing EU-Ukraine relations, is “unacceptable” and brings no added value to Ukraine.

The two sides will meet on Sept. 9 in Evian for a summit to discuss further progress on the agreement. (tp/ez)