On January 13, Vice Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration of Ukraine, Olha Stefanishyna, met with the newly appointed Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs of France, Stéphane Séjourné, who arrived in Kyiv on an official visit.
"We are very grateful to France, which has become one of the first EU member states to offer its expert assistance in the process of Ukraine's accession to the EU. This exchange of experience and expertise will not only strengthen Ukraine on the path to membership but also deepen relations between our countries. I want to emphasize that the country is fully capable of going through all stages of the negotiation process. We have clearly demonstrated that there will be no delays or procrastination in the Government or Parliament when it comes to decisions related to European integration. In addition to a strong government team, we have solid expertise in civil society," noted the Vice Prime Minister.
In turn, Stéphane Séjourné assured that France would support Ukraine at every step of its European path and is ready to provide expert assistance to accelerate Ukraine's achievement of accession criteria.
Ahead of the extraordinary European Council Summit on February 1, Olha Stefanishyna and Stéphane Séjourné discussed the preparations for decisions on Ukraine, including the adoption of a new financial instrument amounting to 50 billion euros.
"For us, it is crucial to have a decision on multi-year assistance because the corresponding mechanism ensures the economic stability and predictability of the country in the long term. We count on the leadership and support of France in achieving the necessary consensus among member states," said the Vice Prime Minister.
During the meeting, the participants also discussed the process of Ukraine's Euro-Atlantic integration and expectations for the upcoming Alliance Summit in Washington.
"We have a solid foundation for making political decisions at the Summit. Since the Vilnius Summit, we have launched a fully functioning Ukraine-NATO Council at all levels, prepared the agenda for security and defense sector reforms, a comprehensive assistance plan, and a roadmap for achieving full interoperability. All Alliance members understand that the next step towards Ukraine's NATO membership is timely. Therefore, we will continue to work on this and hope for your support," emphasized Olha Stefanishyna.
