News

The high-level meeting to coordinate international support for Ukraine was held on 8 July in Brussels. The Lithuanian Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs Andrius Krivas and representatives of most foreign countries, the EU, other key international institutions and donor organizations expressed further support for Ukraine’s sovereignty as well as the necessary European and economic reforms in this country.

The participants of the meeting, which was chaired by the Commissioner for Enlargement and European Neighbourhood Policy Štefan Füle and the Vice Prime Minister of Ukraine Volodymyr Hroisman, adopted a joint declaration expressing their support for Ukraine’s territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence. The international donor community is also determined to support the country’s democratic transformation, economic, social development, and to help to implement the EU-Ukraine Association Agreement providing for a Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area that was signed in Brussels in June.

A.Krivas, who led the Lithuanian delegation, informed international partners about the ratification of the EU’s Association Agreements with Georgia, the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine on the same day by the Seimas (Parliament) of Lithuania. The Lithuanian Foreign Vice-Minister also welcomed the EU-Ukraine “European Agenda for Reform”, which was presented at the meeting, and stressed that it was important to create a harmonious structure for coordination of European integration and support in the country as soon as possible. Lithuania is ready to provide expert assistance in the field of European integration.

The meeting also set key priorities in the field of development cooperation with Ukraine, discussed the possibility of holding a donors and investors’ conference this autumn, which would focus on international support for the implementation of Ukraine’s Economic Recovery and Growth Agenda for 2014-2016.

In March, the European Commission adopted a large support package worth €11.1 billion. This package is composed of EU assistance and loans from EU-based international financial institutions – the European Investment Bank (EIB) and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD).