EU, Ukraine vows to strengthen, political and economic relations

F.P. Report

KYIV: Volodymyr Zelenskyy, President of Ukraine, Charles Michel, President of the European Council and Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, met in Kyiv today for the 23rd Ukraine-EU Summit and issued the following statement.

We gathered today to reaffirm our continued commitment to strengthening the political association and economic integration of Ukraine with the European Union, on the basis of the Association Agreement and its Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area. We share common values of democracy, rule of law, respect for international law and human rights, including the rights of persons belonging to minorities, as well as gender equality. The EU reiterated its unwavering support and commitment to Ukraine’s independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity within its internationally recognized borders.

We reaffirmed our strong commitment to further strengthening the political association and economic integration of Ukraine with the European Union, including through continued close cooperation to strengthen the rule of law, advance reforms, foster sustainable economic growth, support the green and digital transitions and increase resilience.

We acknowledged the European aspirations of Ukraine and welcomed its European choice, as stated in the Association Agreement and in the context of its entry into force in September 2017, after the December 2016 decision by the EU Heads of State or Government. We recalled that the effective implementation of the Association Agreement and its Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area which, linked to the broader process of regulatory approximation and related necessary reforms, contributes to establishing conditions for enhanced economic and trade relations with the EU leading to Ukraine’s further gradual economic integration in the European Union Internal Market, as envisaged in the Association Agreement. We agreed to exploit fully the potential of the Association Agreement and stressed the mutual commitments to that end.