President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy had a phone conversation with Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Boris Johnson.
The Head of State expressed his condolences over the death of British citizens in the crash of a Ukraine International Airlines plane in Iran.
“Yesterday was without exaggeration a tragic day in the history of our countries. Please accept my deepest condolences and words of support for the relatives and friends of the British citizens who died in the catastrophe. Thank you for your solidarity and empathy,” Volodymyr Zelenskyy emphasized.
The President reaffirmed Ukraine's willingness to fully join the special joint investigation team in Iran.
"In our contacts with the Iranian side, we clearly insist on a transparent, comprehensive and objective investigation with a view to establishing the circumstances of this tragedy as soon as possible," the President said.
The President invited the United Kingdom to join the investigation. Boris Johnson supported this idea and stressed that the best British experts should be involved in clarifying all the circumstances of the tragedy.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Boris Johnson also agreed to speed up the preparation of a new Agreement on Political Cooperation, Free Trade and Partnership between Ukraine and the United Kingdom in the context of the country's expected withdrawal from the EU.
"The new agreement between Ukraine and the UK will expand our economic cooperation and enshrine the strategic nature of the partnership," the President stressed.
The interlocutors also raised the issue of visa liberalization with the UK for Ukrainian citizens.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy thanked for the continued support by the UK for Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, and informed of the progress in the implementation of the agreements reached during the Normandy summit on December 9, 2019. The President also informed the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of the situation in Donbas.
For his part, Boris Johnson reaffirmed the UK’s strong support for Ukraine and security partnership. He invited Volodymyr Zelenskyy to visit London to intensify and enhance bilateral cooperation.