Belgium will work on advancing Ukraine's membership in the European Union during its EU presidency in 2024. This was announced on Wednesday, November 8, by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, Dmytro Kuleba, following negotiations with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Belgium, Adjei Labib, in Brussels.
The ministers discussed Belgium's future presidency in the EU Council and noted that promoting Ukraine's EU membership will be one of the key priorities.
"I heard a clear signal that Belgium understands the historical mission and responsibility in the context of this presidency, during which important decisions will be made and the foundations for Ukraine's future accession to the European Union will be laid," said Dmytro Kuleba.
The heads of the foreign ministries also emphasized Belgium's leadership role in implementing the mechanism of using the tax on frozen Russian assets to support Ukraine's recovery.
"We need a broader legislative framework within the EU for this practice to be extended to other European countries. Russia must pay for the damage and destruction it has caused to Ukraine," highlighted Dmytro Kuleba.
The Ukrainian Minister expressed his gratitude to his Belgian colleague for the readiness to provide a new batch of generators and mobile heating systems to assist Ukrainians during the winter period.
The heads of diplomacy separately discussed further steps to implement the peace formula of President Volodymyr Zelensky.
In turn, Adjei Labib emphasized that from the early days of the full-scale Russian aggression against Ukraine, Belgium provided shelter for thousands of Ukrainian citizens and substantial financial, military, and humanitarian support.
"We continue to support Ukraine. Recently, we have established a new fund to aid Ukraine, with a size of 1.7 billion euros. The funds will be directed towards military needs and the implementation of humanitarian projects," noted the head of the Belgian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The foreign ministers also discussed cooperation between Ukraine and Belgium in the field of culture.
In conclusion, Dmytro Kuleba emphasized that during his visit to Brussels, he received a clear signal from European partners about their unwavering support for Ukraine:
"No matter what is happening in the world, supporting Ukraine remains a priority. Together with our partners, we remain focused on Ukraine's victory."
