President approves Ukraine-NATO annual national programme

10.04.2019 17:20

Ukrinform

President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko signed the Decree "On Approval of the Annual National Programme under the Auspices of the NATO-Ukraine Commission for 2019."

The document was signed on Wednesday in the presence of representatives of the Government and experts, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

"It is a systematic, multidimensional document that defines our goals, which are planned to be achieved by the end of 2020, and the priority tasks for the current year. It is our homework on the path towards NATO," the President said before signing the decree.

According to him, it is an extremely important document as it defines the concrete steps for each of the directions not only of the defense sector but the reform of the security sector, rule of law, and ensuring the freedom of citizens as well.

Vice Prime Minister of Ukraine for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration Ivanna Klympush-Tsintsadze, speaking at a meeting with the President, said that this annual programme was a document that consisted of strategic tasks aimed at achieving Ukraine's membership in NATO. "We have a clear agenda, clear goals and clear objectives for this program. I am convinced that if we all work together, and 84 agencies have been involved in the preparation of this document, we will be able to make good progress towards the goal enshrined in the Constitution," she stressed.

As reported, the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine approved a draft presidential decree on approval of the Annual

The ANP is a programme of strategic reforms and other measures necessary to ensure Ukraine's effective, purposeful and systematic preparation for membership in NATO. The main focus of the ANP is the achievement of compliance with the criteria for NATO membership, strengthening democracy, political, economic, judicial reforms, electoral legislation reforms, the reforms of education, science, health care, economic growth, fighting corruption, improving the well-being of citizens, as well as the security and defense reform in accordance with the Alliance's recommendations and bringing the Armed Forces of Ukraine in line with the NATO standards.

The ANP is harmonized with the main strategic documents of Ukraine, including the Strategic Defense Bulletin, the Government Action Plan, the Strategy for Sustainable Development of Ukraine until 2020, the Law on National Security, etc.