PM Shmyhal thanks EU for 600 mln in aid

Prime Minister of Ukraine Denys Shmyhal thanked the European Union for allocating the second tranche of macro-financial assistance totaling EUR 600 million.

"We highly appreciate the EU's support in this difficult time of transformation in Ukraine, which is taking place against the background of the challenges caused by the pandemic, as well as the aggression of the Russian Federation," the Prime Minister of Ukraine said at the 23rd Ukraine–EU Summit, the Government portal informs.

As Shmyhal noted, European integration is a civilizational choice of Ukraine, and cooperation with the EU and international financial organizations is an important indicator of the right vector of movement of our state.

"European integration for Ukraine is a civilizational choice and at the same time a very practical tool that allows us to implement the best European rules and practices that have been developed over the years," the Prime Minister said.

Shmyhal noted that the priority of the Government of Ukraine remained the adoption of the best European practices within the so-called five visa-free deals: customs, aviation, digital, energy, and industrial.

The Prime Minister of Ukraine expressed hope that the results of the 23rd Summit would be an important signal of strengthening the bilateral partnership and would demonstrate readiness to achieve further progress on the path of the implementation of the ambitious agenda of Ukraine-EU relations.

As reported, the 23rd Ukraine–EU Summit was held in Kyiv on Tuesday with the participation of President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky, President of the European Council Charles Michel, and President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen. The Summit participants adopted a joint statement in support of Ukraine's territorial integrity and European integration. Among other things, the Summit participants praised the constructive approach of the Ukrainian side to the negotiations in the Normandy format and called on Russia to resume a comprehensive ceasefire and to fully implement the Minsk agreements.