Joint Statement of the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the Visegrad Group Countries, Sweden and Ukraine

The Visegrad Group countries and Sweden attach great importance to their relations with Ukraine. The Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the Visegrad Countries, Sweden and Ukraine therefore note the importance of today's meeting and express their readiness to continue their cooperation. The participants declare joint interest in further enhancing mutual cooperation with the aim to promote EU-Ukraine relations and to realize concrete projects of regional development.

The Visegrad countries, Sweden and Ukraine welcome the good progress of negotiations on the New Enhanced Agreement between the EU and Ukraine including the recent launch of negotiations on a deep and comprehensive free trade area (FTA). The Visegrad countries, Sweden and Ukraine hope that the current pace of negotiations will be sustained so that the agreement, ambitious and balanced in its nature, reflecting the privileged EU-Ukraine partnership, could be concluded soon, possibly during the Czech Presidency in the first half of 2009.

The Visegrad countries, Sweden and Ukraine are satisfied with the entry into force of the agreements between the European Community and Ukraine on visa facilitation and readmission. The Visegrad Group and Sweden are committed to supporting further steps leading to promoting people-to-people contacts between EU Member States and Ukraine. The Visegrad countries and Sweden will support opening the EU-Ukraine dialogue on visa regime.

The Visegrad countries and Sweden consider Ukraine's deepening co-operation with the European Union as an important element of the ongoing transformation process in Eastern Europe. The V4 and Sweden countries are convinced further enhancing and deepening the cooperation with the Eastern ENP partners will bring additional benefit to the EU as a whole. The Visegrad countries and Sweden consider the ENP as an important tool to promote European integration of Ukraine. The V4 and Sweden support Ukraine's aspirations for European integration. We believe that Ukraine's European ambitions should be addressed in a positive manner and utilized to promote political and economic reforms. The Visegrad countries and Sweden will help the Ukrainian administration in adjusting its legal system to EU standards.

 

 

His Excellency Volodymyr Ogryzko

Minister of Foreign Affairs

Ukraine

 

His Excellency Karel Schwarzenberg

Minister of Foreign Affairs

Czech Republic

 

Her Excellency Kinga Göncz

Minister of Foreign Affairs

Republic of Hungary

 

His Excellency Radosław Sikorski

Minister of Foreign Affairs

Republic of Poland

 

His Excellency Ján Kubiš

Minister of Foreign Affairs

Slovak Republic

 

His Excellency Carl Bildt

Minister of Foreign Affairs

Sweden