Ukraine, Sweden discuss military-technical cooperation

Ukrainian Defense Minister Andrii Taran has thanked the Swedish leadership for the comprehensive support of Ukraine on its path to peace and countering Russian aggression.

He said this during a meeting with a Swedish delegation headed by Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Kingdom of Sweden to Ukraine Tobias Thyberg, the press service of the Ukrainian Defense Ministry reported.

"Sweden’s support is extremely important on our path to achieving peace and forcing the Russian Federation to fulfill its commitments," Taran stressed.

The minister welcomed the decision to appoint a Swedish brigadier general as military adviser to the Special Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office in Ukraine and in the Trilateral Contact Group (TCG), Ambassador Heidi Grau. He also noted that, given the national policy aimed at the peaceful settlement of the conflict in the east and the return of the temporarily occupied territories, the Ukrainian side would provide all the necessary information and facilitate the work of the OSCE representatives in the Trilateral Contact Group.

Taran informed the foreign delegation in detail about the current security situation in Ukraine, in particular in the area of the Joint Forces Operation.

He noted that despite the agreements reached within the TCG, the Russian Federation continues to violate its obligations. Ceasefire violations by the Russian occupation forces are recorded at the front almost every day. The Ukrainian side of the Joint Centre for Control and Coordination (JCCC) immediately reports to the OSCE representatives about all these cases.

For his part, Tobias Thyberg assured that the settlement of the conflict in eastern Ukraine will be one of the key priorities of Sweden's Chair of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) in 2021.

During the meeting, the parties also discussed the priorities of defense cooperation, in particular, the development of capabilities of the Ukrainian Navy, military-technical cooperation, demining, and disposal of explosives.

The issue of an official visit of the Ukrainian defense minister to the Kingdom of Sweden was also raised.

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