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KYIV – Brussels and Kyiv are holding reforms necessary for Ukraine's integration into the European Union and thus are building a solid foundation of the EU values and norms in Ukraine, European Commissioner for Enlargement and Neighborhood Policy Stefan Fule believes, Interfax reported.

Speaking on Monday in Warsaw at a conference on the 20th anniversary of the Centre for Eastern Studies the EU commissioner commented on the reforms Ukraine needed to carry out to meet the EU standards.

"Firstly, we never prejudge future developments in EU-Ukraine relations. In other words, we should be as ambitious as possible in driving forward real integration and reform within the framework we have, and success in doing so will be the best possible encouragement to further deepen relations. In this way we are effectively building a solid foundation of European Union values and norms in Ukraine itself," he said.

The European Commissioner also believes that they should do their best "to build on the favorable political atmosphere towards EU integration in Ukraine."

Speaking about the financial aid, Fule said that the EU financial aid is not the only resource to support reform.

"We are encouraging stronger participation from International Financial Institutions, especially in energy, infrastructure and in boosting the availability of credit to entrepreneurs, and I am pleased with the results. Of course, I will continue to fight for funds to support the Eastern Partnership, but we should not forget significant domestic sources of revenue, and the enormous potential for Ukraine to boost levels of private investment and tax revenue through overdue reforms to economic governance," he added.

According to Fule, to achieve higher political goals, Ukraine and its friends need to win hearts and minds.

"Let me add to these remarks an observation from my own experience. I know that my country’s perspective and pathway towards EU membership depended on three critical factors. Firstly, the need for advocates and supporters beyond our borders, because integration is a political process, and not just an economic and legal one. Secondly, a recognition that our reform agenda coincided with that of our neighbors and that working together would bring benefits for all. This is why the Eastern Partnership is so important and why Ukraine should play a leading role there. Third and most importantly, a commitment from within my country was demonstrably shared by different strands of political opinion. We all believed that sustained and viable development would only come if we could set the conditions for democracy, for stable governance, and for growth. For this to happen in other contexts, we need government and opposition to come together on core common endeavors such as constitutional reform," the European Commissioner said.