French Foreign Minister Stéphane Sejourne has promised that his country will provide expert assistance to speed up Ukraine's achievement of EU accession criteria. UNN reports this with reference to the Service of the Vice Prime Minister of Ukraine.
On January 13, Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration of Ukraine Olha Stefanishyna met with the newly appointed Minister for European and Foreign Affairs of France, Stephane Sejourne, who arrived in Kyiv on an official visit.
"We are very grateful to France, which was one of the first EU member states to offer its expert assistance in the process of Ukraine's accession to the EU. This exchange of experience and expertise will not only strengthen Ukraine on its way to membership, but will also deepen relations between our countries. I would like to emphasize that the country is fully capable of going through all stages of the negotiation process. We have clearly demonstrated that neither the Government nor the Parliament will have any delays or delays when it comes to decisions related to European integration. In addition to a large governmental team, we have strong expertise in civil society," the Vice Prime Minister noted.
For his part, Stéphane Sejourne assured that France will support Ukraine at every step of its European path and is ready to provide expert assistance to speed up Ukraine's achievement of the accession criteria.
Ahead of the European Council's extraordinary summit on February 1, Olga Stefanishyna and Stefan Sejourne discussed the preparation of decisions on Ukraine, including the adoption of a new financial instrument worth EUR 50 billion.
"It is vital for us to have a decision on multi-year assistance, as the relevant mechanism ensures economic stability and predictability of the country in the future. We are counting on France's leadership and support in reaching the appropriate consensus of the Member States," the Vice Prime Minister said.
During the meeting, the participants also discussed the process of Ukraine's Euro-Atlantic integration and expectations from the upcoming NATO Summit in Washington.
"We have a solid basis for making political decisions at the Summit. Since the Summit in Vilnius, we have launched a fully operational NATO-Ukraine Council at all levels, prepared an agenda of reforms in the security and defense sector, a comprehensive assistance plan, and a roadmap for achieving full interoperability. All Allies understand that the next step towards Ukraine's membership in NATO is now. So we will continue to work on this, and we hope for your support," emphasized Olga Stefanishyna.