Reforms, situation in Donbas discussed at meeting of Council of Presidents of Ukraine and Lithuania

The meeting was chaired by President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky and President of the Republic of Lithuania Gitanas Nausėda, Ukrinform reports with reference to the press service of the Ukrainian leader.

Zelensky, in particular, spoke in detail about the reforms being implemented in Ukraine, focusing on land reform, which will boost the Ukrainian economy and establish fair market relations in the agricultural sector.

In turn, Nausėda stressed that Lithuania will always support Ukraine on the path to Euro-Atlantic integration. He noted the important role of Zelensky in the implementation of reforms and welcomed the efforts to reform Ukraine's defense sector.

The parties discussed the situation in Donbas. The president of Ukraine spoke about the full and comprehensive ceasefire, noting that the number of violations has increased recently. According to Zelensky, the issue of humanitarian access of the OSCE and ICRC missions to the inhabitants of the occupied territories is very important.

"The issue of Donbas is not only the cessation of the war, but also the de-occupation and reintegration of the temporarily occupied territories," the president said.

At the same time, Deputy Prime Minister for Reintegration of the Temporarily Occupied Territories Oleksiy Reznikov stressed that Ukraine has fulfilled all the agreements reached at the summit of the Normandy Four leaders in Paris, and noted that it is important to work out a plan for reintegration of the temporarily occupied territories.

Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba thanked the presidents for their real leadership in strengthening the Ukrainian-Lithuanian dialogue, which today corresponds to the content and spirit of the strategic partnership. Kuleba noted that on the initiative of Volodymyr Zelensky, next year is declared the year of Ukraine in the EU.

The participants of the meeting stressed the importance of returning to the issue of providing Ukraine with a NATO Membership Action Plan. In addition, the issue of cooperation in the field of cybersecurity and combating hybrid threats was raised.

Representatives of the Ukrainian party stressed that the ultimate goal of the Crimean Platform should be the de-occupation of Crimea. Support for this initiative from other countries is growing day by day.

Infrastructure Minister Vladyslav Kryklii spoke about the implementation of one of the most ambitious projects - Great Construction. He called on Lithuanian companies to join public-private construction projects in Ukraine.

He thanked Lithuania for supporting the Open Skies Agreement, which Ukraine plans to sign in July.

The parties also discuss the issue of expanding cooperation in the energy sector. The Lithuanian party reaffirmed its commitment to oppose the implementation of the Nord Stream 2 project and expressed support for Ukraine in this matter.

Acting Energy Minister Yuriy Vitrenko noted that Ukraine would like to be less dependent on electricity imports and increase its exports.

Minister of Culture and Information Policy Oleksandr Tkachenko thanked Lithuania for supporting Ukraine in the international arena. He spoke about the Great Restoration project, which could become a driver for tourism development. The minister also reminded of the document signed by President Volodymyr Zelensky on Ukraine’s accession to European tourist routes, which provides new opportunities for the development of the tourism industry and cultural ties.

Volodymyr Zelensky invited Gitanas Nausėda to take part in the events marking the 30th anniversary of Ukraine's independence.

"Without a doubt, Ukraine and Lithuania are great friends," Zelensky stressed.

President of Lithuania Gitanas Nausėda is on an official visit to Ukraine on March 18-19.

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