Taran invites British to take part in Combined Endeavour 2020 exercise

They held a meeting in Kyiv on August 4, the press service of the Defense Ministry reported.

"The parties discussed the state and prospects of bilateral cooperation, in particular, the security situation in eastern Ukraine, as well as the UK's assistance in enhancing the capabilities of the Ukrainian Navy, the state and prospects of establishing and operating the Defense Policy Directorate of the Defense Ministry. Granting Ukraine the Enhanced Opportunities Partner (EOP) status and further steps in this direction were also discussed during the meeting," the report says.

Melinda Simmons reaffirmed the UK's unwavering support for Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity, noted the progress made in reforming the Defense Ministry, expressed her assurance of support for Ukraine in strengthening its defense capabilities and adopting Euro-Atlantic approaches and standards, as well as integrating them into the Armed Forces.

The Ukrainian minister thanked their British partners for their assistance in training of Ukrainian units as part of Operation ORBITAL, and also invited the British side to take an active part in the Combined Endeavour 2020 exercise at the end of September.

The parties agreed to continue mutually beneficial cooperation in the security and defense sector in order to increase the combat potential of the Armed Forces, ensure stability in the region, and improve compatibility with the armed forces of NATO member states.

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