Category: Press Releases

The press release issued by the President of Ukraine on 3 February 2022.

Ukraine expects active participation of Turkish companies in joint projects in the defense and aviation sectors, infrastructure and energy. This was stated by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in a statement to the media following talks with President of the Republic of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in Kyiv.

“Today, cooperation in the field of infrastructure and investment is actively developing. Ukraine is creating favorable conditions for foreign business by adopting a number of relevant, very important laws. We expect the work of Turkish companies in Ukraine to become even more active. “Both in the framework of the Large Construction program and in new important joint projects, to which we will provide as much support as possible,” the Ukrainian President said.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy stressed that special attention was paid to cooperation in the defense and aviation industries during today’s talks.

“This is one of the locomotives of our strategic partnership. Our goal is to implement specific projects, create joint ventures, exchange experience and technologies,” he said.

The President noted that today Ukraine and Turkey had signed an agreement that would significantly expand the production of Baykar Makina unmanned aerial vehicles in our country.

“These are new technologies, new jobs, strengthening Ukraine’s defense capabilities,” the President said.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy stressed that Ukraine wants to give a new impetus to cooperation with Turkey in the energy sector.

“I am confident that the result of the talks will be a practical result that will strengthen the security of our country, enhance the energy security of our countries and the region,” he said.

The Ukrainian President stressed that despite the restrictions related to COVID-19, a record number of Ukrainian tourists visited Turkey last year – about two million.

“For my part, I am pleased that the number of guests from Turkey is growing every year in Ukraine,” said Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

According to the President, visiting each other’s countries, the citizens of Ukraine and Turkey feel hospitality, comfort, security and respect.

The President commended Turkey’s intention to increase its diplomatic presence in Ukraine and establish consulates general in Kharkiv and Lviv.

“We will also increase the status of the consular office in Antalya to the Consulate General in order to more effectively protect the interests of our citizens,” said Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

For his part, the President of the Republic of Turkey stressed the importance of the work of Turkish investors in Ukraine.

“We are proud that Turkish companies successfully implement infrastructure projects in Ukraine. I would like to thank the President once again for trusting our companies,” he said.

Recep Tayyip Erdoğan also noted the constantly increasing cooperation between the two countries in the field of tourism.

During the talks, the presidents also discussed issues of support for Crimean Tatars.

The Turkish leader thanked Volodymyr Zelenskyy and the Ukrainian people for hospitality and wished the work of the Strategic Council of the two countries to become a basis for further development of cooperation.

The press release issued by the President of Ukraine on 3 February 2022.

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy notes that one of the main topics of the meeting with President of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in Kyiv was security and peace. The Head of State said this in his statement for the media following the Ukrainian-Turkish talks in Kyiv.

Volodymyr Zelensky thanked Recep Tayyip Erdoğan for his firm and consistent support for Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and Turkey’s active participation in the Crimea Platform for the liberation of Crimea and the protection of the rights of Crimeans.

“We are talking about the support for the Crimean Tatars, the construction of housing for IDPs from Crimea. There is indeed progress in this matter. We are confident that soon there will be a result, namely the implementation of this important project in Kherson, Mykolaiv and Kyiv,” he said.

Separately, the President of Ukraine noted the initiative of the Turkish leader to become a mediator between Ukraine and Russia on the way to ending the war in Donbas.

“For peace in Ukraine, we are ready to do everything possible on all platforms, in all formats. It doesn’t matter where exactly one can end the war. It is important for everyone to be sincerely ready for this,” Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.

The President of Ukraine thanked the President of Turkey for the frank conversation and important visit.

“It clearly demonstrates who is a friend of Ukraine, always willing to stand by us and help. Ukraine will always remember this. And it will always be ready to help as well. But I sincerely believe that our friendship will be strengthened not by common threats, but only by common victories,” Volodymyr Zelenskyy summed up.

For his part, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan stressed that Turkey continues to support the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine, including Crimea. The leader of the Republic of Turkey commended the position of the President of Ukraine and other Ukrainian officials who offer diplomatic ways to de-escalate the situation around our country.

“During today’s negotiations, I reiterated that we would be pleased to host a summit in Turkey at the level of leaders (of Ukraine and Russia – ed.) or talks at the technical level,” said the President of the Republic of Turkey.

According to him, Turkey also attaches great importance to the work of the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission in Donbas.

The press release issued by the President of Ukraine on 3 February 2022.

Following the meeting of President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy with President of the Republic of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and the tenth meeting of the Ukrainian-Turkish High-Level Strategic Council, a number of bilateral documents were signed.

Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Dmytro Kuleba and Minister of Youth and Sports of the Republic of Turkey Mehmet Kasapoğlu signed an intergovernmental agreement on cooperation in the field of youth policy. This is the first bilateral document regulating cooperation between countries in this area.

The agreement creates legal boundaries for the introduction and development of cooperation, which will promote the expansion of people-to-people contacts and exchanges. It is a matter of organizing joint events and programs in Ukraine and the Republic of Turkey, including youth exchanges.

The Foreign Ministers of Ukraine and Turkey signed a Memorandum of Understanding on technical cooperation between the State Tax Service of Ukraine and the Revenue Administration of the Ministry of Treasury and Finance of the Republic of Turkey.

The document will allow not only to expand the scope of cooperation, but also to establish an exchange of experience in tax administration, improve relevant Ukrainian legislation and practices, and combat tax evasion.

The memorandum provides for cooperation between the parties in registration and accounting of taxpayers, their administration, combating tax evasion, use of electronic tax reporting, service of taxpayers, as well as training and development of staff, exchange of information, including instructions, guidelines, newsletters, laws in the field of taxation.

In order to coordinate, encourage and develop cooperation between Ukraine and Turkey in the customs sector, Acting Chairman of the State Customs Service of Ukraine Vyacheslav Demchenko and Deputy Minister of Trade of Turkey Mustafa Tuzcu signed a Memorandum of Understanding on the establishment of a Joint Customs Council between the State Customs Service of Ukraine and the Ministry of Trade of the Republic of Turkey.

The Council’s activities are expected to intensify and develop Ukrainian-Turkish cooperation in this area, in particular, increase the effectiveness of customs control and simplify customs procedures, which will generally contribute to the growth of bilateral trade.

Vyacheslav Demchenko and Mustafa Tuzcu also signed an Action Plan between the State Customs Service of Ukraine and the Ministry of Trade of Turkey on mutual recognition of programs of authorized economic operators.

The document establishes the algorithm of actions of the parties in order to accelerate the conclusion of an agreement on mutual recognition of AEO programs and provides for the institutionalization of cooperation in this regard, including the establishment of a working group and the appointment of responsible persons. It will significantly contribute to the supply chain security, higher security standards and facilitation of bilateral trade.

A Protocol was also signed between the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine and the Government of the Republic of Turkey amending the Agreement between the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine and the Government of the Republic of Turkey on Cooperation of Law Enforcement Bodies of December 4, 2009.

The document signed by Minister of Internal Affairs of Ukraine Denys Monastyrsky and Minister of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Turkey Süleyman Soylu will ensure more effective cooperation between the competent authorities of the two countries to prevent threats to public safety and order, terrorist attacks, as well as in the prevention, detection and investigation of criminal offenses and the identification of perpetrators. It covers areas of cooperation such as combating organized crime, terrorism, human trafficking, corruption offenses, money laundering, smuggling of goods, criminal offenses against property, environment, cybercrime, drug trafficking, etc.

In addition, the conclusion of the Protocol will help increase the administrative and institutional capacity of law enforcement agencies of Ukraine.

The Memorandum of Understanding between the State Enterprise “Ukrainian Scientific Research and Training Center for Standardization, Certification and Quality Problems” and the Turkish Institute of Standards was signed by Dmytro Kuleba and Minister of Industry and Technology of the Republic of Turkey Mustafa Varank.

The document is aimed at eliminating technical barriers to trade between countries and provides for the development of bilateral cooperation between the parties, mutual study of experience in the field of standardization, certification and quality.

The memorandum enshrines the readiness of the parties to cooperate and provide mutual support in the field of standardization at the national, regional and international levels, and sets the need for maximum harmonization of national and regional standards with international ones, as far as possible. These include mutual support in the framework of participation in international and regional organizations, such as the International Organization for Standardization, the International Electrotechnical Commission, the European Committee for Standardization, the European Committee for Electrotechnical Standardization, the Interregional Standardization Association.

The Framework Agreement between the Governments of Ukraine and Turkey on Cooperation in the Field of High Technologies, Aviation and Space was signed by Minister of Defense of Ukraine Oleksiy Reznikov and Minister of Industry and Technology of the Republic of Turkey Mustafa Varank.

The agreement is to provide a further impetus to Ukrainian-Turkish cooperation in the field of high technologies, aviation and space, in particular in the development, production and operation of the Bayraktar unmanned aerial vehicles.

The document defines the terms of cooperation aimed at ensuring the effective use of production and scientific-technical potential of the parties, and the responsibilities of the parties.

Its implementation will help strengthen Ukraine’s defense capabilities, lead to intensified bilateral economic cooperation and create an additional basis for attracting investment in high technology and these industries. And the participation of Ukrainian specialists in the development, production, maintenance, repair, modernization of unmanned aerial vehicles and their involvement in professional training will improve their skills in the field of high technology.

The press release issued by the President of Ukraine on 3 February 2022.

In the presence of President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy and President of the Republic of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, a Free Trade Agreement between Ukraine and Turkey was signed in Kyiv.

The document was signed by Prime Minister of Ukraine Denys Shmyhal and Minister of Trade of Turkey Mehmet Muş.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy noted that Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s visit to Ukraine takes place on a historic day, as Ukraine and Turkey established diplomatic relations exactly 30 years ago.

“Today a very significant event has become the culmination of three decades of cooperation and friendship – our countries have signed an agreement on a free trade area. I congratulate everyone on this important step. I am grateful to our teams for these negotiations. We have covered a long and difficult path to unveil new horizons of cooperation,” said the President of Ukraine.

According to the President, this document provides new opportunities for business, opens up new markets, new gains and profits, new jobs, investments, the growth of GDP of the two countries and the welfare of our people.

“Even before the agreement was signed, our mutual trade set a record and grew to USD 7 billion last year – by more than a half. This proves that our goal of USD 10 billion is highly realistic. And the Free Trade Agreement will help achieve it faster than expected,” Volodymyr Zelenskyy stressed.

“During our talks, we considered the steps that can be taken to bring our trade turnover to USD 10 billion, which last year showed a 60% growth and reached USD 7.5 billion. I sincerely believe that the Free Trade Agreement that has just been signed will help us achieve this goal quickly,” said Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.

The Free Trade Agreement between the Government of Ukraine and the Government of the Republic of Turkey is designed to promote trade and economic cooperation between the two countries through the introduction of a free trade regime. It is expected that the document will promote trade intensification between the two countries, increase in exports due to domestic producers benefiting from the liberalization of the market of goods and services of the Republic of Turkey, emergence of opportunities for technology transfer and modernization of production in Ukraine, job creation, exchange of experience, etc.

The document provides for a gradual substantial liberalization of trade in goods during the transition period, starting from the date of entry into force of the Agreement, and a gradual liberalization of trade in services.

A Joint Committee is hereby established, the activities of which are aimed at ensuring the proper and effective implementation of the FTA.

The provisions of the Agreement on goods cover market access, national internal taxation and regulation, classification and valuation of goods, duties, fees and other charges, rules of agreement, cases of import and export restrictions, exchange of data on the use of benefits, export subsidies and equivalent measures, freedom of transport transit. The procedure is established for abolition of customs duties, application of sanitary and phytosanitary measures, technical barriers to trade, bilateral and global safeguards, anti-dumping and countervailing measures, regulation of intellectual property, etc.

In terms of services, the provisions of the Agreement cover market access, internal regulation of the most-favored-nation treatment application, mutual recognition of competencies of service providers, transparency and disclosure of confidential information, monopolies and exclusive service providers, business practices, payments and transfers, restrictions for the protection of balance of payments, schedule of specific obligations and their changes, emergency protective measures. The agreement also provides for measures to be taken by the parties to promote mutual commercial presence, in particular by simplifying procedures to facilitate activities, as well as encouraging mutual investment and removing barriers to the use and development of e-commerce; regulates competition and dispute settlement issues.

In order to further facilitate trade in goods, the Agreement provides for the simplification of trade procedures by the parties as far as possible in accordance with their obligations under the WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement; encouraging multilateral cooperation between the parties to strengthen their participation in the development and implementation of international rules of conduct and recommendations on trade facilitation.

The press release issued by the President of Ukraine on 3 February 2022.

First Lady of Ukraine Olena Zelenska met with First Lady of Turkey Emine Erdoğan in Kyiv. Together, they presented a Turkish-language audio guide at the Sofia Kyivska National Reserve.

The First Lady of Turkey arrived in Ukraine in the framework of the visit of President of the Republic of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on February 3. This day marks the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the countries. The relevant protocol was signed in 1992.

“But we know that relations between our countries did not begin 30 years ago, they have a centuries-old history,” said Olena Zelenska.

She also thanked Mrs. Emine Erdoğan for supporting her initiatives, including the Summit of First Ladies and Gentlemen held on August 23, 2021 in Kyiv.

“Without real political power, the spouses of world leaders instead have the tools of soft power,” the wife of the President of Ukraine said.

During the current visit, the First Ladies took part in the presentation of an audio guide in Turkish for the Sofia Kyivska National Reserve. It was created as a pilot project by the State Agency for Tourism Development of Ukraine and the Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TIKA).

The First Ladies noted that this was a step in response, as more than 30 audio guides in Ukrainian have been launched worldwide as part of Olena Zelenska’s initiative, most of them in Turkish landmarks and museums.

“Last year, Turkey became one of the most visited countries by Ukrainians. We want Ukraine to become closer to Turkish tourists as well. To speak to them in familiar words. Because the way forward must be two-sided. Therefore, I am very glad that from now on, when guests from Turkey come to us, Sofia Kyivska will speak to them in their native language,” Olena Zelenska said during her speech.

The First Lady ended her speech at the presentation with an invitation in Turkish: “Kyiv Ayasofya Katedraline hoş geldiniz!”, which means “Welcome to Sofia Kyivska!”

It is planned that 30 more Turkish-language audio guides will appear in the country’s cultural centers in the near future. This will take place in the framework of the implementation of the memorandum of cooperation signed in August 2021. It brings together three key players – the Ministry of Culture and Information Policy, the State Agency for Tourism Development, MEGOGO, and more and more international partners.

In addition, the wives of the Presidents of Ukraine and Turkey discussed the next steps in cultural diplomacy between the countries. In particular, the Turkish translation of the work of Ukrainian professor of oriental studies Hryhoriy Khalymonenko “Turkic lexical snippet of the Ukrainian dictionary”. This is an explanatory dictionary of words of Turkic origin in the Ukrainian language. The book is planned to be published by the Turkish Language Association.

First Lady of Turkey Emine Erdoğan noted the importance of the project, as “there are more than 3,000 words of Turkic origin in the Ukrainian language.”

It is expected that this will be the beginning of a broader project – mutual translation of books by Ukrainian and Turkish writers in both countries.

The press release issued by the President of Ukraine on 3 February 2022.

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy began a meeting with President of the Republic of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, who is on an official visit to our country.

The national anthems of the two countries were played. The Presidents watched the honor guard and introduced members of the official delegations of Ukraine and Turkey.

The heads of state will have a conversation in a vis-a-vis format. After that, the tenth meeting of the High-Level Strategic Council between Ukraine and the Republic of Turkey will take place under the chairmanship of Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.

A number of bilateral documents are to be signed as part of the Turkish leader’s official visit.

The Presidents of Ukraine and Turkey will also have a meeting with media representatives.

The press release issued by the President of Ukraine on 2 February 2022.

Due to the balanced steps inside Ukraine, as well as the support of foreign leaders, it was possible to stabilize the hryvnia exchange rate despite the information background around our country. This was stated by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy when answering questions from journalists following the talks with Prime Minister of the Netherlands Mark Rutte in Kyiv.

“I think we have kept the situation under control. We took many different steps stabilizing the hryvnia. And I think the markets have calmed down. Today I can state this responsibly. We see that the national currency is strengthening,” the President said.

The President said that he had discussed the issue with the Governor of the National Bank of Ukraine.

“We understand what will happen tomorrow. We have left a situation where every morning is a financial risk for us. Today we understand that the situation is stable,” he said.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy also noted that Ukraine’s partners, European leaders, who provided financial support to our country, did a lot to stabilize the hryvnia.

“It was also a signal to the markets, to investors, that Europe believes in Ukraine, in a stable situation, believes in our market and banking system, so there is no need to withdraw money,” the President said.

In addition, according to the President, the visits of foreign leaders are very important, as they demonstrate their support and faith in Ukraine in these difficult times.

The press release issued by the President of Ukraine on 2 February 2022.

Ukraine is interested in involving the Netherlands in the modernization of Ukrainian hospitals and the improvement of medical services. This was stated by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy during a conversation with the media following the talks with Prime Minister of the Kingdom of the Netherlands Mark Rutte in Kyiv.

“We have a separate program that the Prime Minister (Mark Rutte – ed.) has discussed with our Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal and that we want to implement together with the Netherlands and the Ministry of Health – on the construction of 48 new modern hospitals and rehabilitation centers for our military and veterans,” the President said.

The President also thanked the Netherlands for its assistance in rehabilitating and treating Ukrainian servicemen wounded in the east.

“I was glad to hear from the Prime Minister that this program will be continued,” said Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

In addition, the President expressed gratitude for the financial assistance in combating COVID-19 in eastern Ukraine.

The press release issued by the President of Ukraine on 2 February 2022.

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Prime Minister of the Kingdom of the Netherlands Mark Rutte discussed in detail concrete steps to de-escalate the situation around Ukraine’s borders and achieve a peaceful settlement. This was announced by the President of Ukraine during a conversation with media representatives following the talks in Kyiv.

The President welcomed Mark Rutte to the Ukrainian capital and noted that this was the first visit of the Dutch Prime Minister to our country in the last 17 years. And it is happening at a time when Ukraine especially needs the support and solidarity of all friends and allies.

“We spent most of our time today on the issue of security in Ukraine and security on our borders, which affects the economy of our country. We also discussed possible sanctions from the European Union and the Netherlands in case of escalation,” Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.

The President expressed gratitude to the Netherlands and personally to Mark Rutte for supporting Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and for the readiness to cooperate in order to deoccupy Crimea.

“The Netherlands is our important partner within the EU and the Alliance, one of the key trading partners in Europe and the second largest investor in the Ukrainian economy. So it is not surprising that our bilateral agenda is as rich and meaningful as possible. This is evidenced by the Joint Statement adopted as a result of our talks,” the President of Ukraine stressed.

According to him, during the meeting they discussed strengthening bilateral cooperation on European and Euro-Atlantic integration of Ukraine.

“We are also interested in developing trade, economic and investment cooperation. Our trade turnover has crossed the $ 2.5 billion mark, but we strive to do much more and we are able to do more. I invited large Dutch companies to discover Ukraine and create new success stories in the promising areas. These are alternative energy, river transport, water resources management, waste management, agriculture, irrigation and reclamation, and more,” Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.

The Head of State also said that he would continue talks with Mark Rutte to investigate the downing of Flight MH17.

“We will discuss all the details. The European Court of Human Rights has recently started hearing the relevant case, and our states will continue to work closely in this direction, in particular within the Joint Investigation Team to investigate this tragedy,” the President said.

“I am convinced that there are many new pages of success ahead in the partnership between Ukraine and the Netherlands. And these talks have clearly shown that we are determined to open them jointly for the benefit of our states and peoples,” Volodymyr Zelenskyy summed up.

For his part, the Prime Minister of the Netherlands stressed that today every effort should be made to de-escalate the situation near Ukraine’s borders, including through diplomacy.

“The only solution for the de-escalation is diplomacy, a dialogue that must continue between Russia and the United States, between Russia and NATO, and, of course, between the countries of the Normandy format – Ukraine, Germany and France,” said Mark Rutte.

The Prime Minister of the Kingdom of the Netherlands thanked the President of Ukraine for his cooperation in investigating the downing of MH17.

The press release issued by the President of Ukraine on 2 February 2022.

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Prime Minister of the Kingdom of the Netherlands Mark Rutte met in Kyiv today during the working visit of the Prime Minister of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to Ukraine.

The leaders highlighted the upcoming 30th anniversary of establishment of diplomatic relations between Ukraine and the Kingdom of the Netherlands and stated their commitment to develop and further deepen the comprehensive bilateral partnership in all areas of mutual interest.

The two leaders recalled that relations between Ukraine and the Kingdom of the Netherlands are based on shared values and principles of freedom, democracy, rule of law and respect for human rights. They reconfirmed their strong commitment to international law and the core principles on which European security is built, including sovereignty and territorial integrity, inviolability of borders and the freedom of States to choose or change their own security arrangements.

Prime Minister Rutte reiterated unwavering support for Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity within its internationally recognised borders in the face of Russia’s ongoing aggression against Ukraine and current military build-up near Ukrainian state borders.

President Zelenskyy and Prime Minister Rutte underlined the importance of a peaceful solution. Dialogue and diplomacy taking place in different formats, like in OSCE and NATO, play a crucial role in this process.

The two leaders reiterated their commitment to maintaining pressure on Russia to end the temporary occupation by Russia of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol, including in the format of the International Crimea Platform.

President Zelenskyy expressed his appreciation of the support provided by the Dutch side in rehabilitation of Ukrainian servicemen injured in the course of the ongoing armed conflict. Prime Minister Rutte announced that the Netherlands will extend this support, in order to provide additional injured Ukrainian servicemen with rehabilitative care within this programme.

The leaders committed to continue the pursuit of truth, justice and accountability for 298 victims of the downing of Flight MH17 and their loved ones. In this regard President Zelenskyy and Prime Minister Rutte also underlined the importance of the recent oral hearing in the proceedings at the European Court of Human Rights against the Russian Federation for its role in the downing of Flight MH17 as an important milestone towards establishing justice.

In line with the joint statement following the 23rd EU-Ukraine Summit, the leaders acknowledged the European aspirations of Ukraine and welcomed its European choice, as stated in the Association Agreement and in the context of its entry into force in September 2017, after the December 2016 decision by the EU Heads of State or Government. The leaders recalled that the effective implementation of the Association Agreement and its Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area (DCFTA) which, linked to the broader process of regulatory approximation and related necessary reforms, contributes to establishing conditions for enhanced economic and trade relations between Ukraine and the EU leading to Ukraine’s further gradual economic integration in the EU Internal Market, as envisaged in the Association Agreement.

They noted the importance of further enhancing cooperation between Ukraine and the EU in the area of Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP) and of Ukraine’s increased convergence with Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP). The leaders welcomed recent EU support provided to the Ukrainian Armed Forces and underlined their commitment to explore further cooperation, including in the area of professional military education. They recalled their joint commitment to promote the principles enshrined in the Association Agreement, including Article 7(2). In this context, they noted Ukraine’s increased alignment with the EU’s positions and statements. The leaders acknowledged the substantial progress made by Ukraine in its reform process and agreed on the need to further enhance these efforts.

The two leaders stressed the importance of working together against any potential efforts by third parties to use energy as a weapon, as well as the importance of the long-term continuation of gas transit through Ukraine. They underlined their common objective of strengthening energy security and the green transition in Ukraine and the EU as well as expressed their support for the progressive integration of Ukraine with the EU gas and electricity markets.

Prime Minister Rutte expressed his support to maintaining Ukrainian efforts aimed at fostering systemic transformation of the country and strengthening its resilience. Prime Minister Rutte was encouraged by the vibrant civil society, which plays a vital role in the reform process in Ukraine. In support of the important ongoing reforms Prime Minister Rutte announced that the Netherlands will increase its financial contributions to Ukrainian NGO’s, as well as to UNDP activities in support of Security and Justice in conflict affected eastern Ukraine.

In light of Ukraine’s Euro-Atlantic aspirations, Prime Minister Rutte stands by decisions taken at the Bucharest Summit and subsequent summits. Prime Minister Rutte firmly supports Ukraine’s right to decide its own future and foreign policy free from outside interference. Ukraine’s status as Enhanced Opportunities Partner gives further impetus to strengthening the already wide-ranging NATO-Ukraine cooperation, including in the Black Sea region. Prime Minister Rutte highly values Ukraine’s important contributions to Allied operations. These efforts demonstrate Ukraine’s commitment and capability to contribute to Euro-Atlantic security. Prime Minister Rutte commends Ukraine for the significant reforms already implemented and will continue to encourage and support Ukraine in these efforts, including in the security and defence sector, with regard to civilian control and democratic oversight.

Following the cyberattack against Ukraine on 14 January, the Netherlands stands ready to provide technical cyber assistance to Ukraine. The two leaders expressed their interest in advancing cooperation on cyber issues as well as on other matters of mutual concern in the face of the contemporary challenges, including hybrid threats and fight against disinformation.

The two leaders highlighted opportunities for enhancing cooperation in the areas of circular economy, water and waste management, renewable energy, IT, space technologies and inland waterways.

The leaders noted the potential for further bilateral cooperation in the field of agriculture, particularly by stimulating innovation. They stressed the importance of holding a meeting of the Ukrainian – Dutch Working Group on Agriculture as soon as the epidemiological situation allows. Prime Minister Rutte furthermore expressed that the Netherlands intends to organize a mission for Dutch companies that are interested in doing business in Ukraine.

The leaders expressed their interest in advancing bilateral cooperation in healthcare, particularly in order to secure equitable access to affordable COVID-19 vaccines. In this light, The Netherlands will donate approximately 400.000 Euros to the Ukraine Humanitarian Response Plan (OCHA), for its response to the pandemic in Eastern Ukraine. The leaders also welcomed the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding between the Ministry of Health of Ukraine and Philips Medical Systems aimed at improving quality of medical services in Ukraine.