All European Union member state have now ratified the EU-Ukraine Association Agreement, and while EU membership is still a distant prospect for Ukraine, the completion of the ratification process paves the way for a free trade regime between Ukraine and EU to take effect on Jan. 1, 2016.

The local parliament in Brussels was the last to ratify the Association Agreement and thus complete the process, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko on Nov. 20 wrote on Twitter, hailing the landmark in the nation’s efforts to integrate with Western institutions. In Belgium, international accords needed approval of local elected bodies to take effect.