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The Foreign Affairs Council meeting on 14 April in Luxembourg, which was also attended by the Lithuanian Minister of Foreign Affairs Linas Linkevičius, approved macro-financial assistance of up to € 1 billion to support Ukraine’s economic stabilisation and reforms, and adopted the Regulation on the reduction or elimination of customs duties on Ukrainian goods.

The EU unanimously reiterated its condemnation of the illegal annexation of Crimea and Russia’s actions in eastern Ukrainian cities aimed at destabilising the situation in the country.  In response to events in eastern Ukraine over recent days, the Foreign Ministers adopted a decision to expand the list of Russian officials subject to targeted restrictive measures and responsible for actions which undermined Ukraine’s territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence.

“Today we took a couple of important steps. First of all, we approved macro-financial assistance to Ukraine. Second, we expanded the list of persons in Russia and Ukraine (eastern Ukraine and Crimea) subject to assets freeze and visa ban,” the Lithuanian Foreign Minister said.

According to the Foreign Minister, the EU’s political and financial assistance demonstrates its solidarity with Ukraine. L.Linkevičius stressed that the EU was ready to provide not only financial assistance to Ukraine, but also expert assistance in protecting the state borders, reforming its judicial system and fighting against corruption.

The Foreign Ministers called for finding a political solution to the crisis in Ukraine at a four-way meeting between Russia, Ukraine, the United States and the EU, to be held in Geneva on 17 April. The Lithuanian representative stressed that such talks could be held only between representatives of the Governments, must be aimed to reduce tension and should not encompass issues related to Ukraine’s constitutional framework.

The Foreign Ministers also decided to deploy an EU expert mission, which would coordinate its activities with the OSCE Monitoring Mission providing assistance to Ukrainian officials in the field of legal reform.

L.Linkevičius also urged his counterparts not to forget other Eastern partnership countries and sign the Association Agreements with Moldova and Georgia as soon as possible.

The Foreign Affairs Council also discussed the situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Syria.

Photo: The Council of the European Union