During an official visit to the Republic of Austria, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy held talks with Federal Chancellor Sebastian Kurz. The Ukrainian President stressed that despite the COVID-19 pandemic, Ukraine and Austria are holding high-level meetings. Volodymyr Zelenskyy noted that this testifies to really special relations between the two countries.
Federal Chancellor of Austria Sebastian Kurz emphasized his good personal relations with the President of Ukraine.
"Ukraine is a very important economic partner for us," Sebastian Kurz said.
He noted that Austria ranks sixth in terms of investment in Ukraine. Austrian investors have created about 25,000 jobs in Ukraine.
"The way I see it is that this relationship can be expanded and strengthened. The result of our work will be not only signed documents, but also joint projects, investments, jobs and comfort for both our nations," Volodymyr Zelenskyy stressed.
The President of Ukraine informed the Austrian Prime Minister about the implementation of a number of large-scale infrastructure, transport, transit and energy investment projects in the country and invited Austrian businesses to join the joint work on them. Volodymyr Zelenskyy told the Austrian Chancellor about the law on "investment nannies" where the amount of investment was reduced from 100 million to 30 million dollars. For this, businesses receive personal managers and state guarantees.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy noted that large-scale reconstruction of roads and bridges is underway in Ukraine.
"This year we are completing 4.5 thousand kilometers of roads, which is ten times more than a decade earlier. We are building bridges and tunnels," the President said.
Minister of Infrastructure Vladyslav Krykliy stressed that this year a record amount was allocated from the budget for road construction.
"This is a total of five billion dollars for roads of state and local importance," Vladyslav Krykliy said.
Minister of Foreign Affairs Dmytro Kuleba mentioned Ukraine's participation in the European Green Deal.
"For Ukraine, the European Green Deal is the project in which we want to be an integrated part. I invite you to a substantive dialogue at the expert level on how Ukraine and Austria can build the energy of the future. Ukraine has unique opportunities not only to produce "green" hydrogen, but also to transport it," Dmytro Kuleba said.
The minister stressed that many issues that had not been resolved in Ukraine for years began to work after the election of Volodymyr Zelenskyy as President. In particular, responsibility for illicit enrichment was restored, the work of the Supreme Anticorruption Court, judicial reform, and the cleansing of the courts began. The fight against corruption is a priority for Ukraine to continue to develop as a European state.
The issue of the spread of coronavirus was also raised. The Ukrainian President praised the efforts of the Austrian government to minimize the negative effects of the pandemic, and thanked the Austrian side for effective cooperation in organizing humanitarian corridors for the evacuation of Ukrainian citizens during the "hot phase" of COVID-19 in the spring of 2020.
During the talks, special attention was paid to the development of the situation in Donbas and Ukraine's efforts to establish peace. The President of Ukraine thanked Sebastian Kurz for his personal attention to the Ukrainian issue, as well as for the firm position of the Austrian government in support of Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy raised the issue of the appeal of the Ukrainian community in Vienna to name one of the squares in the Austrian capital in honor of Ukraine.
"I support the initiative of the Ukrainian community in Austria to name one of the squares in Vienna in honor of Ukraine and I ask you to agree to such a proposal," the President said.
Sebastian Kurz stressed that he will gladly support this appeal and will do everything possible to implement it.
