Deputy Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine Ihor Zhovkva had a phone conversation with Diplomatic Advisor to the President of the Portuguese Republic Maria Amélia Paiva.
Ihor Zhovkva congratulated Maria Amélia Paiva on her recent appointment and expressed hope for close cooperation to further strengthen Ukrainian-Portuguese relations.
The interlocutors discussed key issues on the bilateral agenda, including political dialogue at the highest level.
Ihor Zhovkva and Maria Amélia Paiva agreed to coordinate efforts to implement the agreements reached during a phone conversation between President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy and President of Portugal Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa that took place in January.
Particular attention was paid to the issues of Ukraine's European integration taking into account Portugal's presidency in the EU. Ihor Zhovkva outlined the key priorities of our country in relations with the European Union, noting the ambition of Ukraine's European integration agenda. He expressed hope that during the Portuguese Presidency of the Council of the European Union, Portugal would support progress on the most pressing issues for Ukraine and the European Union.
The interlocutors also exchanged views on measures taken in Ukraine and Portugal to combat the COVID-19 pandemic, including the vaccination campaign. Ihor Zhovkva stressed the urgency of accelerating Ukraine's access to certified vaccines through the COVAX mechanism.
The Deputy Head of the Office of the President also stressed Ukraine's interest in restoring opportunities for Ukrainian citizens to travel to EU countries as soon as the situation allows. In this regard, Ihor Zhovkva noted the importance of cooperation on the issue of "vaccination passports", the introduction of which is currently being actively discussed within the EU.