Ambassador Simmons: UK will remain strong partner of Ukraine after leaving EU

“UK has long been a good friend and a strong partner of Ukraine and when we leave the EU, this will not change at all. We will be just as committed to Ukraine’s territorial integrity and to its sovereignty and will continue to work a lot to achieve strong economic growth, strong independent country,” British Ambassador to Ukraine Melinda Simmons said in a video address posted on Facebook.

She noted that the UK was looking forward to deepening and expanding cooperation with Ukraine in the coming months and years, for which a new bilateral agreement on trade and political relationship needed to be negotiated.

“This is something that we are already working on and that I hope to have in place by the end of the year,” the diplomat noted.

The British Ambassador informed that Brexit would happen at 11 p.m. today, January 31st.

 “Brexit is the will of the British people to determine the UK’s future outside the European Union. We are leaving the European Union because in a democratic referendum the majority of British citizens decided that they wanted the UK to determine our future alongside and outside the European Union. We are leaving the EU today, but we are not leaving Europe. We will remain a strong partner of Ukraine, we will remain strong in the international system, we will continue to champion global moral issues,” Simmons summed up.

ol