President's Office says Portugal is sincere partner in Ukraine's EU integration efforts

Deputy Head of the Ukrainian President's Office Ihor Zhovkva said this during his working visit to Portugal, Ukrinform reports, citing the website of the President's Office.

According to the report, Zhovkva's conversation with Secretary of State for European Affairs Tiago Antunes concerned practical steps being taken by Ukraine to join the EU. Zhovkva expressed hope that after the positive conclusion of the European Commission in June, the relevant decision on granting Ukraine the status of a candidate country for EU accession will be made by the leaders of the member states.

"Ukraine has not stopped working on the Copenhagen criteria, so we hope that the member states will recognize the importance of Ukraine's integration, which will only strengthen the European Union, particularly in the field of security and economy. In this context, the support of Ukraine's accession to the EU by the citizens of Portugal, which reaches 87%, is very important," Zhovkva said.

Antunes said that the Portuguese side was ready to share the experience gained during Portugal's accession to the EU.

During his conversation with Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Costa, Zhovkva on behalf of the President of Ukraine expressed gratitude for Portugal's strong support for Ukraine in combating Russia's full-scale armed aggression.

Both parties reaffirmed their readiness to strengthen cooperation in the context of Ukraine realizing its intentions to become a full member of the European Union.

"I had a good opportunity to make sure that Portugal, which is geographically far from Ukraine, understands the concerns and needs of Ukrainians very well. We are sincerely grateful for the help provided. This means that it [Portugal] will definitely not be against the symbolic decision for Ukraine - the status of a candidate for EU membership," Zhovkva said.

During the meeting, special attention was paid to the prospects for involving Portugal in the post-war reconstruction of destroyed facilities in the Ukrainian regions.

In his conversation with the President of the Assembly of the Portuguese Republic, Augusto Silva, Zhovkva highly praised the parliamentary dimension of bilateral cooperation to ensure support for Ukraine. Both parties noted the importance of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's address to the Assembly of the Republic and the People of Portugal on April 21, 2022.

"I am glad that after the formation of the new Assembly of the Republic you have already begun to actively engage in a constructive dialogue with your Ukrainian counterparts and clearly condemned Russian aggression in Ukraine," Zhovkva said.

The whole spectrum of bilateral relations was discussed in detail with Portugal's Foreign Minister Joao Cravinho. The interlocutors focused on increasing the sanctions pressure on the aggressor country, speeding up the provision of heavy weapons to Ukraine, receiving financial assistance, as well as the prospects for Ukraine obtaining the status of a candidate for EU membership.

Zhovkva and Cravinho also discussed the prospects for deepening Ukraine's integration into the EU internal market, which will allow the Ukrainian economy to gradually recover.

During his meeting with the Minister of National Defense of Portugal, Helena Carreiras, Zhovkva discussed in detail the current security situation caused by Russia's armed aggression. Zhovkva thanked Portuguese partners for their practical assistance, but recalled that every day of delays in the supply of weapons is very expensive for Ukrainian society.

The issue of available facilities for the treatment of wounded Ukrainian servicemen in Portugal was also raised.

Given the agreements reached at a meeting of the President of Ukraine with the Prime Minister of Portugal in Kyiv, Zhovkva met with the Minister of Education of Portugal, Joao Costa, and the head of the state-owned institution Parque Escolar, Luis Silva Andrade.

The Portuguese side was informed about the situation resulting from the destruction of more than 1,888 educational institutions in Ukraine and was invited to join efforts to rebuild the country's educational infrastructure. Zhovkva also thanked the minister for providing study opportunities for Ukrainians who arrived in Portugal after February 24 and for preparing for a national multi-subject test in Lisbon.

On February 28, Ukraine officially applied for EU membership and completed all necessary procedures.