18th EU-Ukraine Summit: Support, Solidarity and a Strengthened Partnership
At the 18th EU-Ukraine Summit, the EU reaffirmed its solidarity with Ukraine and its support for the government’s continuing reform efforts. Read the full press release on the Summit here. President Juncker welcomed the progress made: “Over the last two or three years, while working faithfully with President Poroshenko and his government, we have witnessed a great deal more progress during this short period than in the previous twenty years“. President Juncker spoke of the need for the European Parliament and Member States to reach an agreement in order to allow visa liberalisation to be granted before the end of the year. President Juncker welcomed President Poroshenko’s commitment to meet all remaining reform conditions for the next disbursement of the Macros Financial Assistance. Read the full remarks of President Juncker at the Summit press conference here. Cooperation was strengthened in a number of other areas with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding on a Strategic Energy Partnership (press release available here) and the confirmation of a range of support programmes designed to foster accountable and transparent governance. A €15 million reform assistance programme to help Ukraine fight corruption is one element in a €300 million programme that also includes support for decentralisation (€97 million), the reform of public administration (€104 million), and the rule of law (€52.5 million). A full press release is available here, and information on the Commission’s Support Group for Ukraine here. The Summit also provided an opportunity to discuss other important aspects of the EU-Ukraine relationship, including the EU’s proposal for autonomous trade measures for Ukraine. Today, the European Union has increased its support to the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission (SMM) with an additional €5 million, added to €25 million already provided. The European Union is unwavering in its support for Ukraine’s independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity, which was reaffirmed by the EU leaders at the Summit.
