President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy had a phone conversation with President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen.
First of all, the President of the European Commission congratulated the President of Ukraine on the recovery of his family members from coronavirus infection and wished them good health.
"Thank you for that. Yes, my wife and son really recovered. Unfortunately, you need to regain strength two or three weeks after recovery from this disease. We carry out serious communication with society, we talk about security measures, because everyone is tired of this epidemic. We are currently working to increase the number of beds for such patients if there is a second wave," Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.
The parties exchanged views on the epidemic situation. The President of Ukraine thanked for the agreement reached on the doses of the vaccine when it is produced. He also noted that Ukraine is ready for international cooperation in vaccine production.
"We are studying the possibility of technology transfer and rapid deployment of localized vaccine production in Ukraine. We have several powerful pharmaceutical companies for this purpose. We are ready for mass production of vaccines. Count on us," the Head of State said.
The interlocutors also focused on preparations for the 22nd Ukraine-EU Summit, which is scheduled for October 1 in Brussels.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy stressed that the Ukrainian party is ready to work closely with the EU institutions in order to ensure maximum effectiveness of the Summit.
An exchange of views took place on the main issues of the EU-Ukraine agenda and further steps needed to strengthen the strategic partnership and deepen economic integration between Ukraine and the European Union. Volodymyr Zelenskyy expressed hope that the Joint Statement, which will be adopted following the Summit, will reflect the high level of ambitions of Ukraine and the EU to further develop relations.
"Ukraine and the EU, despite the objective difficulties associated with the COVID-19 pandemic, continue the economic integration and strengthen the strategic partnership. In the near future, the Verkhovna Rada will adopt a number of laws on the implementation of the Association Agreement. During the Summit, Ukraine will be ready to discuss progress in the implementation of the Agreement and key reforms," Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated.
Ursula von der Leyen stressed her full support for Ukraine's integration into the European Union.
The President noted the importance of the EU decision to provide Ukraine with macro-financial assistance in the amount of 1.2 billion euros to support macroeconomic stability and the reform process. He expressed hope that the first tranche of EU macro-financial assistance in the amount of 600 million euros would be allocated in the near future without additional conditions.
"The Government of Ukraine has already begun work on fulfilling the terms of the Memorandum of Understanding between Ukraine and the EU to make it possible to receive the second tranche of macro-financial assistance by the end of this year," the President said.
The interlocutors paid special attention to the security situation in eastern Ukraine. Volodymyr Zelenskyy told the President of the European Commission about the course of negotiations in Minsk and Normandy formats. The President thanked the EU for its continued support of Ukraine in restoring its sovereignty and territorial integrity.
Ursula von der Leyen stressed that the European Union fully supports the implementation of the Minsk agreements. She congratulated the President of Ukraine and praised his efforts to reach a ceasefire, which has lasted for 33 days already, during which there have been no combat losses. She noted that the EU considers the temporary occupation of the Crimean peninsula unacceptable, and stressed that the meeting of leaders of the Normandy format, which is extremely important, should be held as soon as possible.
"Thank you for this support. We expect the meeting of the leaders of the Normandy format countries to be held shortly after our advisors meet. We very much want to maintain a comprehensive and permanent ceasefire regime. We are doing everything to move towards the end of the war," the Head of State stressed.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Ursula von der Leyen also exchanged views on the development of the situation in Belarus. The interlocutors noted the common vision of Ukraine and the EU of resolving the domestic political crisis in Belarus.