Shmyhal meets with Lithuanian PM

Mitigating the effects of coronavirus on the economy is an important task for the government, Ukrainian Prime Minister Dmytro Shmyhal has said.

He said this at a meeting with Lithuanian Prime Minister Ingrida Simonyte in Vilnius on Friday, July 9, according to the website of the Ukrainian government.

"Mitigating the impact of coronavirus on the economy is an important task of our government and requires a constant response to the needs of business, helping to restore its economic activity," Shmyhal said.

The two countries' prime ministers emphasized the importance of countering the COVID-19 pandemic and overcoming its negative effects on the economy. Shmyhal noted that the increase in investment activity could be one of the drivers behind economic growth. He added that Ukraine was ready to use public-private partnerships to develop investment infrastructure, create a regional network of industrial parks and more. The involvement of Lithuanian business in the implementation of these projects will have a positive impact on bilateral relations, Shmyhal said.

"It is important that Lithuanian companies see prospects for the development of the Ukrainian economy and new opportunities for the implementation of projects in Ukraine. Many of them are already working in our market," he said.

Shmyhal also stressed that Ukraine appreciated Lithuania's contribution to the implementation of the Association Agreement between Ukraine and the EU in a number of areas. He thanked the Lithuanian side for supporting Ukraine's European and Euro-Atlantic aspirations. Shmyhal thanked Lithuania for holding the Ukraine Reform Conference and noted the multifaceted and multilevel contribution of the Republic of Lithuania to the implementation of reforms in Ukraine.

"I am convinced that everything that has been worked out and agreed upon after the Conference will be successfully implemented for the benefit of Ukraine, the Ukrainian-Lithuanian partnership and Europe as a whole," Shmyhal said.

He invited Simonyte to pay a working visit to Ukraine in the near future.