President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy had a phone conversation with Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez.
The leaders discussed the development of trade and economic cooperation between the two countries.
"Spain is one of Ukraine's main trading partners in the European Union and maintains its position as Europe's largest importer of Ukrainian grain. We are ready to continue being a reliable strategic supplier of grain products to Spain," the Ukrainian President stressed.
The interlocutors noted the importance of holding the fourth meeting of the Ukrainian-Spanish Joint Intergovernmental Commission on Economic and Industrial Cooperation this year in Kyiv. They agreed to intensify cooperation in the fields of energy, infrastructure, digitization and cybersecurity.
The leaders also discussed the fight against COVID-19 and the possibility of providing Ukraine with a vaccine licensed by Western countries. The Spanish Prime Minister stressed that he would assist Ukraine in obtaining the vaccine both at the level of bilateral relations and at the EU level.
Particular attention was paid to the signing of the Agreement on the Common Aviation Area between the European Union with Ukraine.
"I am grateful to the Spanish party for its efforts and willingness to facilitate the signing of this long-awaited and mutually beneficial agreement. I expect a positive decision from the EU in the coming weeks," Volodymyr Zelenskyy stressed.
The President noted the contribution of the Ukrainian community as one of the largest in Spain to strengthening bilateral relations and thanked the head of the Spanish government for creating appropriate conditions to meet the cultural, educational and social needs of Ukrainian citizens living in Spain. Pedro Sánchez stressed that Spain expects positive results from the reforms carried out by the President of Ukraine.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy expressed gratitude for Spain's support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine, and, at the request of the Spanish party, briefed on the security situation in Donbas and Ukraine's peace initiatives. Ukraine's strategic path to NATO was discussed separately. Volodymyr Zelenskyy spoke about the steps our country is taking to achieve the Alliance's standards, and stressed that the Ukrainian army is one of the strongest today.
"Every day, our army defends not only Ukraine, but also Europe, repelling aggression in the east of our country. We are constantly improving our standards and we can strengthen NATO in the future," the Ukrainian President said.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy invited the Prime Minister of Spain to take part in festivities on the 30th anniversary of Ukraine's independence. Pedro Sánchez expressed willingness to visit our country. His visit may become the first visit of the Prime Minister of Spain to Ukraine in the last 30 years.