Ukraine starts consultations with EU on security commitments

Deputy Head of the President’s Office of Ukraine Ihor Zhovkva has started the first round of consultations with Charles Fries, the Deputy Secretary General for Peace, Security and Defence of the European External Action Service, regarding the EU's collective security commitments.

According to the President’s Office, these consultations followed up on the G7 Joint Declaration of Support for Ukraine of July 12, 2023.

"Ukraine's future membership in the EU serves as a robust assurance of security for our nation and the European community as a whole. We greatly appreciate that at this stage we are already discussing concrete steps to enhance our collective security and strengthen Ukraine's resilience," said Zhovkva.

During the consultations, the parties exchanged views on approaches to future security commitments from the EU, focusing on the security and defense segment.

The Deputy Head of the Presidential Office noted the significant contribution of the European Union to strengthening the security and defense capabilities of Ukraine, in particular by supporting the Armed Forces of Ukraine through the European Peace Facility and the activities of the EU Military Assistance Mission in support of Ukraine.

In addition, on behalf of the President of Ukraine, Ihor Zhovkva presented Charles Fries with the Order of Merit, III class, recognizing his significant contribution to strengthening and supporting the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine.

As Ukrinform reported, on July 12, on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Vilnius, the leaders of the G7 countries agreed on a Joint Declaration of Support for Ukraine. The document envisaged, in particular, the work on specific bilateral long-term commitments and agreements in the security sector.

Photo: President’s Office