The meeting of the Ukraine-European Union Association Council, which will take place today in Brussels, will kick off the implementation of practical agreements reached by President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy with EU leaders, in particular on updating the trade part of the Association Agreement and involvement in the implementation of the EU Green Deal. This was stated by Deputy Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine Ihor Zhovkva in the op-ed for NV.
"Today, our relations with the EU are at one of the highest points in history. This is not yet the summit we seek to conquer, that is, to become a full member of the EU. But we can already say with confidence that we have a clear trajectory of movement, a high level of mutual understanding and trust with our European partners," he said.
According to Ihor Zhovkva, European partners know that the values of freedom, dignity and democracy are an existential need for Ukrainians, and for the seventh year in a row, Ukraine is defending them in Donbas, contributing to European security.
"Ukraine is a reliable partner of the EU in the region. It has repeatedly confirmed this, among other things, with practical actions. Therefore, it is ready to become an active participant in the process of determining the future of Europe. We hope they will hear us," he added.
According to the Deputy Head of the Office of the President, the successful Ukraine-EU Summit held in October 2020 paved the way for concrete progress in relations, primarily in the field of Ukraine's integration into the EU internal market.
"Today will be a regular meeting of the EU-Ukraine Association Council, which will be the starting point for the implementation of practical agreements reached by President Zelenskyy with EU leaders. We are waiting for the official start of the dialogue on updating the trade part of the Association Agreement and the process of joint assessment of the achievement of the goals of the Association Agreement," Ihor Zhovkva said.
He noted that Ukraine will be the first country outside the European Union to join the implementation of the EU Green Deal, which will mean close coordination of policies to combat climate change.
In addition, this year an agreement on the Common Aviation Area is to be signed. We also expect progress on the issue of an "industrial visa-free regime" with the EU.
"This will make it easier and cheaper for Ukrainian industrial producers to enter the EU market," Ihor Zhovkva said.
The Ukrainian party is also preparing for the visit of President of the European Council Charles Michel to Ukraine, which is to take place on March 2-3. It is planned that in the framework of this visit Charles Michel will visit Donbas together with Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
"We are grateful that the EU is our reliable ally in restoring sovereignty and territorial integrity and a key partner that supports transformation in Ukraine. We clearly understand the challenges we face in accelerating our move towards a strategic goal in our relations with the EU. The President expects the government and parliament to work effectively to implement the Association Agreement and key reforms. This is the only way to a successful Ukraine," the Deputy Head of the President's Office summed up.