During their meeting in Kyiv Denys Shmyhal, Prime Minister of Ukraine, and Josep Borrell, High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs, reaffirmed the plan to organise the 8th meeting of the EU-Ukraine Association Council, in April 2022, for a further development of mutual trade and financial operations.

According to Denys Shmyhal, the key areas of work within the Association Council for Ukraine will be updating some annexes to the Association Agreement, measures to implement the European Green Deal, as well as joining the SEPA (Single Euro Payments Area), which will have a positive impact on development of financial operations sector.

Against the background of gas shortages and high prices on energy carriers, security of energy supply must also remain our top priority in regional cooperation. In this direction, we are working with extreme vigour and persistence to connect the Ukrainian energy system to the European network ENTSO-E.

Denys Shmyhal, Prime Minister of Ukraine

Another important point of work, according to the Prime Minister, is the launch of the sixth macro-financial assistance programme.

It is also important for us to start substantive negotiations on accelerating the liberalization of mutual trade in accordance with Article 29 of the Association Agreement and further progress in concluding ACAA agreements, or so-called industrial visa-free regimes.

Denys Shmyhal, Prime Minister of Ukraine

In addition, the Prime Minister said that the parties should focus on finding ways to address a problem of the lack of permits for the transit of road transport.

According to Josep Borrell, one of the promising areas of cooperation may also be cooperation in the field of cybersecurity. The top EU official assured that the EU has been and remains a reliable partner of Ukraine.