Ukraine’s PM, Poland’s Deputy PM discuss vaccination and customs reform

"We highly appreciate the unwavering position of the EU and NATO member states in the context of restoring Ukraine’s territorial integrity," said the Prime Minister of Ukraine, the Government portal reports.

Prime Minister of Ukraine noted that the dialogue between the countries had been actively developing recently, and this dynamics and content of contacts should be continued.

Shmyhal thanked the Polish side for the effective support that Ukraine felt amid the recent increase in the Russian Federation's military presence near the Ukrainian border and in Crimea.

The parties also raised the issue of the COVID-19 vaccination campaign.

The Head of Government of Ukraine thanked Poland, which, as part of the European Commission's initiative, expressed its readiness to provide Ukraine with 1.2 million doses of vaccine.

"We count on the Polish government’s support in agreeing on a mechanism for the supply of vaccines to Ukrainians in the near future," he said.

Among other things, the Prime Minister noted that Ukraine was closely monitoring the introduction of health certificates in the European Union and was ready to join the initiative to increase the mobility of the population.

In addition, Shmyhal and Gowin discussed the reform of Ukrainian customs and the development of border infrastructure. The Prime Minister of Ukraine noted that a significant increase in throughput functionality on the Ukrainian-Polish border is an integral part of strengthening bilateral relations.

"Mutual cooperation in this area is very important for us so that we can develop, increase trade between the countries, destroy smuggling schemes and equip as many modern checkpoints as possible. This is one of the practical steps to expand our cooperation. Checkpoints are the door between our states, so progress in this area is important," the Prime Minister said.

Shmyhal also noted that the issue of Polish permits for international road transport arises in the context of increasing trade between the countries.

"Given the growing volume of our bilateral trade, Ukraine should be given 200,000 permits at least. This will help unlock our mutual economic potential and improve trade dynamics," he said.

During the meeting, the Prime Minister of Ukraine also underscored the importance of ensuring decent conditions and protecting the rights of Ukrainian migrant workers and students.

Photo credit: Government portal

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