Ukraine expects Eastern Partnership summit to take place early 2021
This was stated by Mykola Tochytskyi, the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Ukraine to the Kingdom of Belgium, Representative of Ukraine to the European Union, during a meeting with the press on the eve of a video conference of EU and Eastern Partnership leaders, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.
"Video conference is not a summit. This is an important conversation between the leaders about what we need to do before the concrete summit, which will take place early next year. I think we will plan this summit in the first half of January or early February as we do not want to postpone it. The position of the Ukrainian side on holding the summit is the beginning of 2021," the Ukrainian diplomat stressed.
He noted that most Ukraine's proposals for cooperation with the EU, including the practical implementation of the "more for more" principle in relations between the EU and Eastern partners, trade development, energy cooperation, digital transformation, and other areas were proposed for discussion during the video conference on June 18.
"We have something to say to the EU countries and Eastern Partnership partners during a video conference. We intend to draw attention to the fact that the "more for more" principle has not been repealed. If countries such as Ukraine, Georgia, and Moldova have made more progress, we have the right to create tripartite formats in trade, energy, and the digital sphere in order to further deepen this cooperation,” the Ukrainian diplomat stressed.
He noted that the European Union had been and would be not only a serious trade and economic partner but also a reliable friend for Ukraine that extended a helping hand from the first days of the coronavirus crisis. The diplomat reminded of EUR 190 million assistance aimed at supporting small and medium-sized businesses, agriculture, and the medical sector. After that, the European Union approved macro-financial support programs for Ukraine totaling more than EUR 2.1 billion, and the parties are already at the stage of signing memoranda on the allocation of these funds.
"The European Union endorsed a decision to allocate these funds to us during a period that is difficult not only for Ukraine but for the European Union itself. It is very important to remember this," Tochytskyi added.
As reported, a meeting of the Eastern Partnership leaders will be held on June 18 in a video conference format. It will be attended by the heads of state and government of the EU member states, as well as the leaders of the Eastern Partnership member states - Azerbaijan, Belarus, Armenia, Georgia, the Republic of Moldova, and Ukraine.
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