REUTERS
Ukraine has fulfilled all conditions for the next tranche of the EU's macro-financial assistance.
The European Union will give Ukraine EUR 500 million in macro-financial assistance (MFA) immediately after the International Monetary Fund (IMF) approves a decision on further cooperation with the Ukrainian side.
Commissioner for Neighbourhood and Enlargement Olivér Várhelyi mentioned this during a video conference with Ukraine's Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba, the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry's press service said.
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The Ukrainian minister briefed the European Commissioner on the progress in implementing the European integration reforms, the adoption of important legislative decisions, in particular, the adoption of the law on banking.
In turn, the European Commissioner welcomed this decision by the Ukrainian parliament and added that Ukraine had met all the conditions for receiving macro-financial assistance from the EU.
According to him, as soon as the IMF delivers its final assessment and approves further cooperation with Ukraine, the EU will be ready to allocate the second tranche of the fourth MFA program in the amount of EUR 500 million.
Kuleba also thanked for the European Commission's initiative to provide Ukraine with EUR 1.2 billion in special macro-financial assistance to stabilize the economy amid the coronavirus pandemic.
In turn, Várhelyi praised Ukraine's resolute response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The two officials also agreed to speed joint preparations for "industrial visa-free travel" between Ukraine and the EU (an Agreement on Conformity Assessment and Acceptance of Industrial Products, or ACAA) after the coronavirus pandemic had slowed the negotiation process.
Kuleba and Várhelyi paid special attention to EU support for Ukrainian small- and medium-sized businesses. They agreed to give an additional impetus to the work on updating the deep and comprehensive free trade area between Ukraine and the EU, Ukraine joining the Common Aviation Area Agreement, integration into the EU Digital Single Market, Ukraine's participation in the implementation of the European Green Deal as an integral part.
The foreign minister separately touched on EU humanitarian aid to vulnerable groups of the population in Ukraine's eastern regions that are most affected by Russian aggression.
The two officials exchanged views on the future of the Eastern Partnership in the context of preparations for the current summit of the initiative. The minister emphasized that Ukraine in its vision of the Eastern Partnership will continue to proceed from its own European aspirations and European choice and commitment to further deepen political association and economic integration with the EU, including gradual accession to the internal market of the European Union.
Várhelyi, in turn, assured that the EU supports Ukraine on the European path, including the implementation of reforms.