Tag: President of Ukraine

The press release issued by the President of Ukraine on 4 February 2022.

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy and representatives of the IT industry held a meeting to discuss urgent issues of industry development and the launch of a special legal and tax regime “Diia City” scheduled for February 8 this year.

The event was also attended by Deputy Head of the Office of the President Rostyslav Shurma and Deputy Prime Minister – Minister of Digital Transformation of Ukraine Mykhailo Fedorov.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy stressed that the state will fully support the IT industry, which creates new jobs and makes Ukraine a modern country.

“We really want to build a digital state. And we succeed in that,” the President said during the meeting.

He answered questions from representatives of the IT industry, in particular on taxes and development of education, as well as listened to their suggestions that would contribute to the development of the industry turning Ukraine into a magnet for talented active people.

Minister of Digital Transformation Mykhailo Fedorov stressed that before the start of “Diia City” it was important to hold such a meeting with representatives of Ukrainian companies that generate jobs and form a new Ukraine.

“We reaffirm at the highest state level that this project is designed to help the IT industry and will continue to grow,” he said.

The meeting took place on the eve of the Diia Summit, which will be held on February 8 in Kyiv. During this large-scale event organized by the Ministry of Digital Transformation, new digital services for citizens on the “Diia” portal will be presented.

The press release issued by the President of Ukraine on 4 February 2022.

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy had a phone conversation with President of the Slovak Republic Zuzana Čaputová.

The President thanked Slovakia for its continued solidarity in supporting Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.

The interlocutors exchanged views on the security situation around our country. Volodymyr Zelenskyy informed about the initiatives of the Ukrainian side to intensify the negotiation process within the Normandy format and the implementation of the Minsk agreements.

The leaders touched upon the issue of cooperation between Ukraine and Slovakia in the security sphere.

The President of Ukraine praised Slovakia’s support for our country’s European and Euro-Atlantic aspirations.

Special attention was paid to energy security during the conversation.

“Against the background of security risks associated with the construction of Nord Stream 2, close cooperation between Ukraine and Slovakia is important for enhancing security of energy supply,” said Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

The parties agreed to hold negotiations at the level of relevant agencies to increase the guaranteed capacity for natural gas transportation on a permanent basis in the Slovakia – Ukraine direction.

The interlocutors also exchanged views on the situation with COVID-19 in Ukraine and Slovakia and measures to counter the spread of the pandemic.

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.