On the instructions of the President of Ukraine and the Head of the Presidential Office, Deputy Head of the Presidential Office Ihor Zhovkva started the first round of consultations with the Deputy Secretary General for Peace, Security and Defence of the European External Action Service Charles Fries on the EU's collective security commitments.
These consultations followed up on the G7 Joint Declaration of Support for Ukraine of July 12, 2023.
"Ukraine's future membership in the EU serves as a robust assurance of security for our nation and the European community as a whole. We greatly appreciate that at this stage we are already discussing concrete steps to enhance our collective security and strengthen Ukraine's resilience," said Ihor Zhovkva.
During the consultations, the parties exchanged views on approaches to future security commitments from the EU, focusing on the security and defense segment.
The Deputy Head of the Presidential Office noted the significant contribution of the European Union to strengthening the security and defense capabilities of our country, in particular by supporting the Armed Forces of Ukraine through the European Peace Facility and the activities of the EU Military Assistance Mission in support of Ukraine.
On behalf of the President of Ukraine, Ihor Zhovkva presented Charles Fries with the Order of Merit, III class, recognizing his significant contribution to strengthening and supporting the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine.