Taras Kachka held his first conversation in his new position: Ukraine and Sweden agreed on steps towards the EU
Kyiv • UNN
Newly appointed Deputy Prime Minister Taras Kachka held his first conversation with Swedish Minister Jessika Roswall. They discussed preparations for opening the negotiation cluster "Fundamentals of the EU Accession Process" and reforms.
On Friday, August 15, the newly appointed Deputy Prime Minister of Ukraine for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration, Taras Kachka, held his first official telephone dialogue with the Swedish Minister for European Union Affairs, Jessika Roswall. The parties discussed key challenges of the European integration process, the need to preserve the unity of EU member states, and further reforms in Ukraine.
This was reported by the Government Portal, writes UNN.
Details
The phone conversation was Taras Kachka's first diplomatic step in his new position. The focus was on preparing for the opening of the first negotiation cluster "Fundamentals of the EU Accession Process," which covers key reforms in the areas of democracy, justice, law enforcement, and the rule of law.
The Ukrainian official emphasized that this stage has not only symbolic but also practical significance, as it can accelerate transformational changes within the country.
The Swedish minister congratulated Kachka on his appointment and reaffirmed Sweden's commitment to supporting Ukraine, particularly regarding EU accession. She assured that Stockholm would continue to promote political, economic, and security initiatives, as well as post-war reconstruction processes.
During the conversation, Taras Kachka informed the Swedish side about Ukraine's latest reform steps: the appointment of the head of the Bureau of Economic Security, the modernization of the National Agency for Identification, Tracing and Management of Assets (ARMA), the start of customs service reform, and ensuring the independence of NABU and SAPO.
He emphasized that the Government is working closely with the parliament and the President's Office to promote European integration bills. Separately, the parties coordinated positions ahead of the informal meeting of the EU General Affairs Council, which will take place in September in Denmark.
Both officials emphasized the importance of the 27 member states quickly adopting a technical decision on opening the negotiation cluster this year.
Cluster 1 covers key reforms in the areas of democracy, justice, law enforcement, and the rule of law, and we view its opening not just as a formality, but as an effective mechanism that will stimulate further transformations in the country. Ukraine has completed comprehensive preparations for this next step; the only missing element is a formal decision from the EU
Kachka also stressed that the negotiation process between Ukraine and Moldova must proceed synchronously, and any steps capable of undermining EU unity are unacceptable.
At the end of the conversation, Jessika Roswall once again confirmed that Ukraine is part of the European family and promised further support in implementing reforms and advancing on the path to EU membership.