News

On 17 December, in Kiev, in the 4th meeting of joint Lithuanian-Ukrainian subcommittee on European integration, the Lithuanian delegation was headed by Undersecretary of Lithuanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs Žygimantas Pavilionis, and the Ukrainian was headed by Deputy Economics Minister Valeriy Piatnytskiy.

This subcommittee was established by the Lithuanian-Ukrainian bilateral Intergovernmental Cooperation Council, which was founded in 2003. The subcommittee coordinates Lithuania’s assistance to Ukrainian political, administrative, economic and social reforms, which are implemented in pursuance of Ukraine’s European integration goals.

During the meeting the bilateral relations between the European Union and Ukraine were discussed: the negotiations regarding the New strengthened agreement, the implementation of the EU-Ukraine Action Plan, Neighbourhood policy and Ukraine’s membership in the World Trade Organization, which would provide a basis for signing the Ukrainian-EU free trade agreement.

“Ukraine’s integration success depends on the country itself. Reforms that are being implemented in order to comply with the requirements for the EU Member States, are necessary for the country and its people,” said the Head of Lithuanian delegation.

During the meeting, the participants also exchanged information on the perspectives of oil supply provision via the Odesa-Brody-Plock-Gdansk pipeline, cooperation in the area of gas and the possibility for Ukrainian experts to participate in the construction of the new nuclear power plant.

An expert from Lithuanian Fishery Department under the Ministry of Agriculture shared Lithuania’s expertise in the area of fishery.

During the meeting the inter-institutional cooperation experience gained in 2007 in the areas of customs, veterinary medicine, public procurement and social security was also summarized. The institutions agreed to continue the successful inter-institutional cooperation. The projects that are planned to be implemented in 2008 in the areas of insurance, taxes, agriculture and justice were also discussed.

During the visit, a meeting of Ž.Pavilionis with Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Kostyantyn Yeliseyev was also foreseen.

The next meeting of the joint Lithuanian-Ukrainian subcommittee on European integration is due in 2008, in Vilnius.