An international conference "Ukraine's participation in free trade zones: status, problems and prospects", organized by the Institute of International Relations of Kyiv National Taras Shevchenko University and the Ukrainian Association of International Economics was held in Kyiv on November 17-18, 2011.

The officials of the Administration of the President of Ukraine, Ministry of Economic Development and Trade of Ukraine, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, leading Ukrainian and foreign experts and scholars participated in the Conference.

Among the honored guests of the Conference there were the Swiss Ambassador K. Shonenberher, Ambassador of the Republic of Azerbaijan E. Madatli, Deputy Ambassador of Estonia M. Murd, Minister-Counselor of the Embassy of the Republic of Slovenia G. Matkovych, former Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine G. Udovenko, head of the American Chamber of Commerce in Ukraine J. Voytko, expert of the Delegation of the European Union to Ukraine O. Miroshnichenko and others.

The Conference addressed the following main topics:

• Theoretical and methodological principles of creating free trade zones;
• The economic mechanism of creation of free trade between Ukraine and EU, CIS, EFTA, USA, Canada, Israel, Turkey and Syria;
• World experience of creating and functioning of free trade zones;
• Business environment and financial aspects of the functioning of free trade zones;
• Socio-economic consequences of creating free trade zones in Ukraine.

The Conference was a broad platform for deepening dialogue between government and non-government organizations, representatives of foreign diplomatic and business community, academics and experts for discussing the most vital issues of creation and functioning of free trade between Ukraine and other states. According to the results of the forum were adopted proposals and recommendations regarding the prospects of Ukraine's participation in the free trade zones, accounting advantages and disadvantages of different forms of integration and the priority of building a free trade area with other countries.