PM Shmyhal: Ukraine aims to become EU and NATO member in 5-10 years

“Ukraine aspires to join the EU and NATO in the near future, we aim to gain membership in the next 5-10 years. An important issue for Ukraine’s European future is the consistent implementation of reforms, which we continue to work on and already have significant results. Of course, the issue of Ukraine’s accession to the EU depends not only on us but on 27 other countries as well,” Prime Minister of Ukraine Denys Shmyhal said in an interview with the LRT Lithuanian newspaper.

The EU annually submits a report on the implementation of the EU–Ukraine Association Agreement to assess Ukraine’s achievements in implementing reforms, he reminded.

According to him, European partners note that even under difficult conditions last year, despite Russia’s destabilizing actions, the conflict in the East, and the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic, Ukraine is showing progress on its path towards reform.

“That is, our movement towards Ukraine's membership in the EU does not stop. At present, one of our main goals is gradual integration into the European Single Market,” Shmyhal stressed.

He added that the EU had already become Ukraine’s main trading partner, the export of Ukrainian goods to the European Union had grown by 60% over the past five years. This year, the export is expected to reach EUR 20 billion.

“Now we are striving for further liberalization of trade with the EU, one of our key priorities in the last year was to prepare for the renewal of the trade part of the Association Agreement. We also continue to work in the context of Ukraine’s integration into digital and energy markets. We work towards signing industrial, aviation, and customs ‘visa-free regimes’,” the Prime Minister said.

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