U.S. Defense Department stresses the importance of strengthening civilian control over the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the National Security and Defense Council reported following today's meeting of NSDC Secretary Oleksiy Danilov and U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Ukraine and Eurasia Laura Cooper.
During the meeting, the parties discussed topical issues of bilateral cooperation, in particular in the security and defense sphere, and exchanged views on the security situation in Europe and worldwide, reads the report.
"Laura Cooper stressed the importance of implementing the provisions of the law on national security in terms of strengthening civilian control over the Armed Forces, enhancing the transparency and accountability of the military procurement process, improving the accountability and transparency of the military-industrial complex," the NSDC press service wrote.
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The NSDC secretary reaffirmed Ukraine's interest in reforming its defense industry in accordance with the best Western standards. "Our strategic goal is to ensure that the national defense industry can effectively provide the Armed Forces with the necessary weapons and resources," Danilov underscored.
The NSDC secretary expressed his gratitude to the United States for its strong and consistent support of the country's independence and territorial integrity, as well as of its movement towards democratic reform. "U.S. assistance is critical to protecting Ukraine from Russian aggression," he said.
Ms. Cooper emphasized the unfettered support of Ukraine in reforming this sector by all U.S. government institutions and outlined the main priorities of the assistance.
The secretary of the NSDC of Ukraine stressed that the Ukrainian authorities had been making every effort to reach effective arrangements toward de-escalation in the temporarily occupied territories.
